If Only You Smile
by Monou Hakkai
Summary: Short sequel to Ah! My Sempai. With a little help from someone, Makoto reunites with the man she calls Sempai. But are her feelings towards him still there?
1. ch 1

If Only You Smile 1

By: Vash-chan aka Makoto Almasy

Rating: PG/PG13 

Summary: A SHORT sequel to Ah! My Sempai. With a little help from someone, Makoto reunites with the man she calls Sempai. But are her feelings towards him still there? 

Disclaimer: Kino Makoto and Rurouni Kenshin characters don't belong to me. 

AN: For RK, this takes place just after the Kyoto Arc. I apologise as usual for anyone being OOC and am open to constructive criticism. 

Jiya = Gramps (this is what Misao calls Okina) 

Okashira = Commander, leader. 

*This chapter has a lot more focus on the Oniwabanshu so Makoto isn't here yet ^_^;;*

****

"Aoshi-sama!" Makimachi Misao beckoned aloud when she entered the temple. As expected, the response being thrown back to her was simply of silence. The young ninja's throat was starting to become sore from saying the same thing over again in the last ten minutes. Aoshi was nowhere to be seen at his usual place. "Aoshi-sama, I know you enjoy privacy but Jiya wants you to join us for dinner." She wondered whether that was detailed enough to make him come out to greet her in person. She knew he must be hungry. He hadn't eaten a proper meal this week due to his daily routine of sitting in deep silence and it was rare for him to share mealtimes with the rest of his comrades. 

What on earth was Aoshi up to if he wasn't in the main part of the temple? Did he find the ninja girl to be a little distracting these days? Didn't he trust the rest of the Oniwabanshu enough to make more contact? Thinking of these possibilities made Misao frown unexpectedly. She knew in her heart that he did care about her and she loved him for showing such sympathy towards someone like her. It was a pity he never really smiled as often whenever he was happy with something or showed his kindness. All these years she had wanted to see him smile - for real. It would suit his handsome face and make him appear less cold in public. His ice blue eyes would dazzle if he showed this façade, wouldn't they? 

Misao called him again, this time louder. Her voice disturbed the birds nesting in the trees outside the temple and their wings fluttered noisily when they retreated from their homes. Was Aoshi walking outside in the wonderful sunshine? It wouldn't surprise her if he were going on a gentle stroll in the temple's large garden. The essence of summer arrived this month and had never stopped shining onto the small towns of Kyoto. Constant daylight had enhanced the green shades of every single tree in the forests, improving the beauty of nature's true self. It almost appeared that nature was extremely happy these past days. Even everyone in town was happy too. Well, not exactly everyone. 

Misao wasn't certain whether she was like everyone else. Sure she was happy when the fight against Shishio Makoto ended dramatically and when Aoshi-sama had returned. But there was something missing in her surroundings ever since the battle disappeared. Although the real Oniwabanshu Okashira was back, he still remained as the stoic figure everyone was used to. The man who seldom smiled as much and sought solitude. Misao had been trying so hard to let Aoshi know how she really felt about him by showing her generosity and obedience. However it had never been easy to talk to someone like him about many things. He would simply stare emotionlessly at the person leading the conversation. 

Each time she delivered food or gave him an umbrella on a rainy day, he wouldn't pull one big smile in front of her youthful face. Saying 'thank you' only came once in a while, though it wasn't as effective as grinning to show his gratitude. Misao normally had to leave him alone whenever he was meditating, since the words 'do not disturb' seemed to be painted at the back of his head. As someone who truly respected him Misao always let the Kodachi wielder sit in peace and went back to the Aoiya to do other chores. She decided to search for Aoshi elsewhere in the temple. 

"Aoshi-sama, the food's gonna get cold if you don't come back to the Aoiya," Misao yelled and ran down the path surrounding the entire temple, hoping to pick out a tall dark haired man lurking somewhere in the bright colours of day. He shouldn't take this long to respond to her voice. This guy was an awesome swordsman. Why else was he picked as the Oniwabanshu Okashira? He had skill. Aoshi wasn't in any other rooms within the temple and Misao decided to look outside in the garden. Her eyes enlarged delightfully when she spotted him walking past trees of Sakura blossoms. He was always handsome. No matter how dry or wet the weather appeared. "I was wondering where you went." Aoshi was about to reply but she interrupted quickly, "Oh don't worry about apologising to me. Everyone is waiting for you. Come on." 

Smiling cheerfully, Misao jumped ahead like a scampering mouse whilst Aoshi took his time walking as they headed towards the front entrance to the temple. Misao didn't have to turn around to check that Aoshi was still following her. She could easily sense him tagging along. However, apart from knowing that he wasn't far behind, she also could see that Aoshi was hiding something from her when he was looking at the flowers. Of course she was used to him acting like this. That was his main characteristic, wasn't it? Only this time, Misao's curiosity was beginning to overtake her mind by a stronger level than usual. 

****

The dinner at the Aoiya was relatively quiet, which didn't surprise Misao one bit while she continuously watched Aoshi eat away in silence rather than focus on her own bowl of rice. General conversations didn't really turn up around the table, although Okina had given the usual 'How are you feeling today?' approach to Aoshi. The Oniwabanshu Okashira had then responded with 'I'm getting better each day' as his occasional answer. It was a little boring to hear the same question being asked but at least it was an indication to everyone that the Shinomori Aoshi they knew was there in front of their eyes. He just needed time to find solace and peace for the actions he had made before.

"Are you returning to the temple?" Okina asked when the tall Kodachi wielder stood up from the table. 

"My time at the temple is over for today. I'm going for a walk," Aoshi answered then strolled out of the room. Misao was about to say something but Okina touched her hand and shook his head, gesturing her to be silent and let Aoshi leave.

"Jiya," She muttered angrily, "I wanted to ask if I could go with him. Why did you stop me?"

"Aoshi still needs more time to himself," Okina replied. "I don't think he's quite ready to be open around us yet." 

Misao pouted disappointingly then stared at the empty bowl the Okashira left behind. He didn't seem to have eaten a lot from what she could see. Did he only have one small bowl of rice? Misao had lost count on how many helpings *she* had had during dinnertime but she knew for sure she was the one who ate the most. She was just so hungry from running back and forth in the temple to find Aoshi that she didn't realise she had used a lot of energy all at once. 

Okina disturbed her quiet pondering and said, "There is something you could do to keep your worries away. Why not see whether Aoshi's bedroom needs a bit of cleaning? I'm sure he'll be pleased with you if you did that." 

Her bright blue-green eyes grew delightfully, "What a good idea!" She threw a happy grin to her grandfather and ran out of the dining room. Wow Jiya can be real smart sometimes Misao thought when she approached Aoshi's bedroom door down the hallway. He'd have to be pleased with her for doing such a generous chore. It was bound to get him smiling, right? It just had to. He would thank her then show a wonderful smirk to suit his amazing face. Maybe then he'd stay in the Aoiya and spend more time with the rest of the Oniwabanshu because they were his comrades. Misao giggled in her daydream before sliding the doors open to enter the bedroom. 

There was rarely a time when Misao ever went into Aoshi's room. Like the rest of the guys here, she respected his privacy whether he was in the temple or in his bedroom. She could see that the bedcovers remained flat on the ground without any creases and a stack of books was in a tidy pile on the study desk. How could Misao forget that Aoshi spent some of his time alone, reading? She drew her finger on the first book to check for any dust on the cover. It seemed that Aoshi was capable of keeping his room as clean as possible, even though he didn't always show up at the Aoiya as much. Either that or he had been in here a lot and nobody else encountered him at the same time.

Satisfied with the cleanness of the books, Misao moved on to check the rest of the room. She didn't know where Aoshi-sama kept his clothes. It was likely that he kept them at the temple if he ever spent more than a day over there rather than here. Still, that white trench coat he liked to wear was folded neatly on top of his bed. Misao bent down beside the bed and observed the jacket, admiring the feel of the material between her fingers and the bright yellow colour of the lapels. Lifting the garment into the air, she noticed how it looked great when it was worn on Aoshi. It made him stand strong against the enemy; intimidated them and gave the message 'don't mess with Shinomori Aoshi of the Oniwabanshu.' That was what Misao liked about him. It was his strength and courage on the battlefield.

As she examined the other parts of the Okashira's coat, her head tilted past the garment to notice something poking out from beneath the pile of books on the desk. How come her eyes didn't catch anything before when she first came into the room? She should have seen whether there was dust on the entire desk rather than just the books. She placed the coat into its original position on the bed then walked back to the desk to see what it was that caught her eye a minute ago. Her captivation in clothing must have taken her mind off the real layout of the room and made her miss some obvious objects lurking around her. At first glance the object poking out from the bottom of the pile of books was most likely to be folded up paper. 

The young ninja was about to unfold the paper when something struck her mind. Was this even a good idea? She was being a bit *too* curious behind Aoshi's back, wasn't she? What if he caught her? He might scold her and he'd be the same as always. Silent and emotionless. Her chances of impressing him would vanish hence he'd never ever smile at this level. But then again, Misao was desperate to know what was on the Okashira's mind right this moment. Understandably he was still uneasy from the fight against Shishio Makoto but that had passed. There was something else bothering him. Jiya could see it with his own eyes and Misao was starting to get the same impression as well. So what was it that disturbed Shinomori Aoshi this time, if it wasn't the previous battle? 

Her fingers wavered hesitantly around the piece of paper. Should she leave it alone or see what was inside? Her curiosity was growing by the minute. She wanted to know what kind of secrets Aoshi had if he never expressed them openly in front of the others. If she wanted to find out more about him then she'd have to do something behind his back just this once Maybe it's folded up to be a bookmark Misao thought eventually, her worries vanishing quickly. Using both her hands, she unfolded the piece of paper until it was wide open. What she saw on the surface wasn't based on written text. The entire layout of the paper was filled with different colours of ink and a portrait outline could be seen in front of the ninja's eyes. This definitely wasn't Aoshi-sama himself. He never had long brown hair or bright green irises. This was a picture of a young woman in a pink kimono. Someone who was perhaps the same age as Misao.

Like a quick jab from a needle, a fast thought struck the braided girl's mind. Was this a painting of his *girlfriend*? Did Jiya and the others know Aoshi-sama had someone in his life? Did she even exist? Misao noticed the elegant writing on the right hand corner of the page. "Kino Makoto," She read slowly. It wouldn't have come as a surprise if that was the name of the brown haired girl, considering how graceful it sounded when said aloud. The girl looked so gentle and kind, even though this was a painted portrait. Misao scanned the background of the painting and saw how colourful each flower was. The plants were scattered around the girl's feet as she sat on the grass, smiling serenely. 

She looks like she's a part of nature Misao thought in awe then suddenly spotted another bit of writing at the bottom of the page. It was the artist's name, Yuuki Takashi. Why did this name ring a bell? Ah yes. She had heard of this man before. He was a veteran artist who drew and painted pictures by request and had a store not far from the Aoiya. Aoshi-sama must have asked him to create a picture of this girl called Kino Makoto. Misao's main concern right now was whether this female in the painting was real or not. 

"Maybe Yuuki Takashi will know about this painting," She said and folded the paper in half, sprinting out of the Aoiya without letting anyone catch her. 

****

Yuuki Takashi was a man in his forties. Half bald and skinny, he almost represented an entire skeletal figure without any flesh. Despite his anorexic look, his name was well known among the town for his amazing paintings by request and was still appreciated for his own drawings of landscapes and legendary figures. Misao found his store a few metres down from the Oniwabanshu HQ and saw he was indulging himself through a newspaper. She cleared her throat to get his attention away from the article he was reading. 

"No requests for now, Miss. I'm having a break," Takashi stated in a flat tone. 

"Hey I'm not here to ask you to draw something for me," Misao answered. "Uh, at least not today." She unexpectedly giggled, imagining a portrait of Aoshi-sama in her room that was neatly tucked underneath her pillow. However her laughter vanished when the dark braided girl spotted an impatient scowl on the older man's face. "Sorry I was being stupid there." Calming down, she dug into her pocket to fish out the picture she had recently discovered and showed it to Takashi. "You did this picture, right?" 

The man leaned over his outdoor table and after a few minutes of observing smiled when he recognised his work. "A young man gave me a very precise description of a woman he met long ago. He mentioned how much she admired flowers and what a strong-hearted person she was. I paid a lot of attention to the colour of her hair, eyes and the colour of the petals in order to bring out all these aspects." His smile faded instantly as his voice lowered. "You know when I first saw that man I could have sworn there was some sadness lurking behind those eyes of his. This Kino Makoto woman must mean a lot to him if he asked me to draw a special person he knew." 

Misao's eyes widened. So this girl *did* exist. She *was* someone in Aoshi's life. But was she still alive? That was what the ninja girl needed to know. "Hey, Mister where can I find her?" Takashi rubbed his forehead as he began to think carefully. He was sure that that handsome yet sad young man mentioned more about this woman, apart from her looks and personality. Two silent minutes went by and Misao was losing her patience. She prompted the artist for an immediate answer. "Well?"

"I think he said she was from Osaka," Takashi replied uncertainly. 

"Osaka?" She echoed. Now that he managed to give her an answer this meant one thing to her. She had to go to Osaka to find the girl in person. Of course it would take a while to find where Kino Makoto was but she was certain that this girl would be there somewhere. The ninja could find out how the girl knew Aoshi. Maybe this Kino Makoto could help her understand more about him if possible. Who would have thought that curiosity could be beneficial in the end? Misao pondered. Folding the paper into her pocket, she left Takashi's outdoor store and set off to Osaka without any further thought. 

TBC 

My estimation to how many chapters there are to a story is normally wrong (XD) but I'm guessing there will be at least 5 or 6 chapters for this.


	2. ch 2

If Only You Smile 2

Gecho Geri = "Angry girl" kick (It's one of Misao's moves.  She did it to Kenshin when they were on their way to Kyoto.  Poor Kenshin just replied with 'Oro?' after getting that kick ^_^)

Itai! = Ouch!

****

Misao's first observation of Osaka was that it was small.  It almost gave her the thought of visiting a ghost town where nobody was alive.  As though this was an aftermath of a bloodbath.  Thankfully Osaka did have live humans walking past her although the local people didn't seem to be willing to say where she could find Kino Makoto.  Not one person gave her a straight answer and simply huffed.  Didn't the word 'manners' even pop up in their brains? What was it that they didn't like about this gentle-looking girl who blended with flowers? Curiosity was becoming Misao's best friend as each minute passed.  

She had been running down the street for at least half an hour, apologising to people as she brushed past them quickly.  So far she was unsuccessful in finding this person.  It wasn't like Makoto was a disease, was it? Misao was close to losing her temper and shouting out loud if nobody was going to co-operate.  It would instantly have been a waste of her time coming to Osaka.  Obviously Makoto was alive.  That was one thing to confirm for the young ninja so hope shouldn't have to be given up yet, right? Misao wondered what this Makoto was like in person.  Was it true that looks could be deceiving? Was she a different figure underneath the gentle façade? Of course the braided girl herself could demonstrate this phrase perfectly well - especially towards those who had seen her in her mantel.  

Men easily fell into the trap of noticing a mysterious girl who had a sultry voice underneath the huge cloak when in fact it was a young female who had agility that surpassed them.  Perhaps Misao had to keep the 'looks can be deceiving' phrase in mind before meeting Kino Makoto face to face.  Maybe she too used a fake sort of charm to touch Aoshi and get his attention, just like how Misao attracted men with her mantel.  Oh no.  If she is someone who easily deceives others then that means bad news for Aoshi-sama.  Is that why people hate her? Misao thought worriedly.  Unfolding the paper, she stared at the picture in her hands again.  The optimistic side of her mind reminded her again that this may not be a bad person at all and *was* really someone who looked amazing with plants.  Someone who *was* kind inside.              

Dammit what was the ninja supposed to believe in? This was all confusing.  She hadn't even met Kino Makoto yet and couldn't make her mind up on what to believe.  Well if nobody was going to tell her where to find Makoto then Misao had to do things on her own and see for herself what this person was like.  Her green eyes focused hard as she strolled down the town, passing each open store and keeping her gaze wide open at each individual.  Every single person was talking to their neighbours about money and food.  So far no woman or young girl had brown hair or wore a colourful kimono.  Why couldn't this Kino Makoto just appear out of nowhere like a magician who knew how to vanish and end up in another place? 

Why couldn't she make it easier for Misao to find her? Didn't she like to talk to people and preferred to stay hidden? Wow that sounded like someone Misao knew all too well.  Perhaps that was one reason to why Aoshi knew her personally.  Because they liked to hide from the crowd.  The dark braided girl couldn't believe she was already having a go at this unknown female for not simplifying this search.  Was she going insane? You're such a silly girl, Misao.  You have to be serious she reprimanded herself and slapped the side of her head to wake up.  Okina would have said the same thing to the sixteen-year old if he were watching her right now.                        

Misao was trying hard to look out for a slim brown haired female when a huge object smashed into her right shoulder, pushing her to the ground. 

"Ahh!" She landed hard on her backside.  Her eyes saw stars briefly – until she shook her head to see things normally again.

"Hey, watch where you're going, kid!" An angry voice boomed down at her.  As she recovered her normal vision, Misao spotted three men surrounding the young ninja in a small circle, their eyes glaring at her as though she was a peculiar object.

"Uh sorry, I didn't mean to," She apologised and rubbed her right shoulder soothingly.

"Well so you should be, you stupid girl," The second man said then turned to his friends. "Tch! Why do kids never learn?" Misao's eyebrows curled with offence and anger when he mentioned the last sentence.  How dare he call her a kid? She knew she was mature for a sixteen-year old.  She was a growing woman – not a snotty kid that liked to play silly games to piss adults off.  The three men noticed the furious green eyes of Makimachi Misao and sniggered to one another.  How could they *not* accept her apology? The ninja's anger grew in less than a minute.  This was nowhere near funny.  The clash with her right shoulder hurt like hell right now.  That guy shouldn't have even moved his arm like that.

"Brainless kids like you shouldn't be running around.  Or else you'd end up like that," The third man added, clearly referring to Misao falling over after getting a hit to her chin.  He gestured to his friends to leave. 

"Hey at least *I* know how to say 'excuse me' or 'sorry' to other people," Misao stated back proudly. "Unlike you stupid punks." The last phrase interrupted the men's walking and they all turned their heads to her.  Well now that got them angry, didn't it? And it also caused some other faces to turn to her direction.  Misao had captured the entire audience of Osaka town without realising it.  But she didn't care about other people watching her.  Her attention was on these three men.  She couldn't believe they were being downright mean to her.  Who would have thought her arrival in Osaka would involve such scenes of impoliteness? 

Was everyone like this? No that was impossible.  Some people let her pass when she said she was coming through the street - so not everyone was rude, which was a huge relief.  Anyway she had a right to budge past the crowd.  The ninja had to find someone ASAP.  She had to find Makoto and speak to her about Aoshi-sama.  This was no laughing matter.  This was an emergency.  The three men stormed over towards the smaller girl and buried their angry glares closer to her face. 

"You think we're stupid, huh?" The first man said.  "You'll regret saying that, brat." Along with his friends, the man cracked his knuckles to show he meant business.  Misao stared back at them sharply, her Tobi Kunai steadily placed between each of her fingers.  Oh she meant it when she called them stupid.  If they weren't going to accept her apology then she had to force them.  That's right.  Makimachi Misao wasn't a ninja for nothing in the Oniwabanshu.  She was going to make these men pay for calling her a BRAINLESS kid when in fact they were the ones considered as unintelligent.

"Bring it on," Misao uttered.  Her petite body ascended into the air like a flash of light and caused some of the passers-by to gasp in awe.  It was time to show these three guys what a member of the Oniwabanshu was made of.  She released a cry as she came down to prepare a flying kick at the third man, who was standing to her right. "Gecho Geri!" Her foot was closing in on its target.  She was going to hit him no doubt.  Here comes the pain she thought with expectation.  The guy was going to fall down with a bleeding nose.  She could predict it without any problems.  He was going to cry anytime now as soon as her foot met his face.  

But then again the collision of the nose didn't take place at all.  Instead, the third man's hand grabbed the ankle of Misao's attacking foot and suddenly the ninja found her body being spun around in the air.  Every person around her started to blur and lose shape as she moved in a fast circular motion.  The wind was making her cheeks lose its thickness in the rapid spin and Misao could only shut her eyes to lessen the discomfort in her brain.  The crowd started to cover their faces as they helplessly watched the poor girl being tossed around and screaming out loud.  

"Oh this is so not good," She realised.  As though someone read her mind, the spinning abruptly stopped.  When Misao opened her eyes, her body felt as though they were still moving in circles, even though everything in front of her was in normal shape and size and was stationary.  Despite having experienced a horrible non-stop trip the ninja now had to face the whole world upside down.  The third man still had his grip around her ankle as though it was tight rope.  It also made her foot feel like it was going to be pulled off anytime because of the firm hold.  Being caught by surprise was something that never crossed Misao's mind.  These guys surprised her no doubt.  

She tried to set her foot free from the grip but it was too difficult to reach towards it without much support from anywhere else.  She was far from touching the ground and the only thing that was nearest to the bottom was the end of her long braid.  The third man's hand was as huge as both her feet put together and it was giving her ankle a lot of pain.  "Put me down, you jerk!" She demanded as she continued to attempt an escape.  Her strength wasn't enough to take on the huge fingers surrounding her ankle.  Out of nowhere she cried from a surge of pain and immediately realised the first man was pulling her braid and forcing her to look at the ugly smug on his face.  

Misao couldn't use her Tobi Kunai to strike any of the guys after the second man caught her arm before she could launch an attack with her weapons and held in a similar grasp like the third man.  This newly growing damage to her body was too much to bear.  The hurtful sensation was worsening by the minute in this position.  Misao could see they were thugs who enjoyed bullying.  They didn't care that she was a kid to them.  They wanted to pick on anyone who ticked them off.  If Aoshi-sama were here he'd make them cry at his feet.  But unfortunately the Oniwabanshu Okashira wasn't around.  He was on a walk, most likely to be brooding somewhere.  Unaware that Misao was in a bit of crisis in Osaka town.

"Like I said," The first man muttered harshly to the ninja, "you kids never learn."

"Never threaten us or you'll regret it," The third man gripped harder around her ankle to make her wince more.  

"This is what you get for making us mad." The first man drew a sword and pointed it to Misao.  The shininess of his blade intimidated the reluctant audience.  Dammit I hate to say it but they're right Misao thought, slightly guilty Maybe I shouldn't have pissed them off or else I wouldn't be like this.  

"Hey put me down, please!" She insisted, grinning nervously. 

"Nah, we kinda like this.  Makes the entertainment more enjoyable," The second man replied.  His friends laughed out loud for the first time and didn't care how much pain Misao was being put through.  Why weren't any of the passers-by helping? Were they too frightened? Misao couldn't blame them, especially if they couldn't fight and refused to be involved in such trouble.  This was going over the top.  Someone had to help her out.  Anybody.  She didn't care who it was that helped out.  Just any idiot would do.  Her right foot wasn't near enough to kick the third guy's face and she didn't want to risk having her body in any worse shape.  She was literally powerless.      

"What's all the commotion?" A new voice entered.  Everyone silenced at the sudden arrival of a new person, even the three bullies and Misao (although with difficulty).  Various whispers bounced in-between the crowd as soon as the figure came into the light.  It sounded like they recognised this person Misao discovered.  It was from the way they spoke to their neighbours.  Some sounded surprised whilst others sounded worried.  The braided girl struggled to get her eyes to focus on whoever it was that made his presence and her jade irises bulged in amazement.  It wasn't a man who approached the three bullies.  It was a girl.  Misao could tell by the voice and the posture. 

But that wasn't all she managed to pick up from this newcomer.  The girl had long brunette hair in a ponytail and piercing emerald eyes.   Misao's memory of the picture in her pocket refreshed her mind with ease.  Was this the girl she was looking for? It couldn't be.  The only difference here was that this girl was wearing a plain white gi with a black belt around her waist rather than an elegant kimono.  Maybe it was somebody else who looked like her.  

"I don't believe it!" The first man exclaimed. "It's that bitch from before." 

"Oh, it's you three guys," The girl said to herself, also becoming surprised.  However the short moment of surprise by seeing recognisable faces was cut off when she spotted the girl that was upside down. "What are you doing to the young lady?"

"We're punishing her because she called us stupid!" The third man retorted, dangling Misao's foot higher into the air.

"Wait!" Misao interrupted. "I apologised for bumping into them without looking and they wouldn't accept it.  A-and they pissed me off so I…" She swallowed her throat to calm herself down.  It sounded like she was babbling here. "I swear I was being polite when I came into this town." The longhaired brunette met the desperate eyes of the braided girl and stared at her for about two seconds.  She nodded slowly then diverted her gaze to the three men holding the smaller girl above the ground.  

Misao didn't understand what the nod was for but she guessed that the other girl understood her explanation and believed every word she said (hopefully).  

"Let her go she's telling the truth," The brown haired female ordered as she moved her eyes towards each person.

"No way!" The second and first man refused at the same time.  

"She's getting what she deserves for pissing us off," The third man argued.

"I don't care just let her go," The girl demanded then glanced to the man holding Misao's ankle. "Or would you like me to damage your nose like before? I can put it back to its painful position like last time." Noticing her sarcastic smile, the third man growled.  Looked like he didn't find this memory too amusing.  Misao couldn't believe this discovery.  Did these bullies already know this tough looking brunette? She herself would have managed to damage the guy's nose for a second time if she had been lucky enough.  Then again the guy must have expected her to go for his nose, which was how he was able to defend himself and surprise the ninja with a catch to the foot.

"You are *not* gonna do the same thing to me," The third man said in defence.  

"Oh?" The girl's eyebrows arched up curiously and she pivoted away from the man's direction to look at the rest of the crowd.  They were expecting something from here, weren't they? Well of course they were.  They knew who she was.  Out of the blue, the girl returned her gaze to the man holding Misao by the ankle and surprisingly delivered a right jab to his nose.  He found his nose cracking in the same way as the previous time.  Blood splashed out from his nostrils and, because of the painful smash, his hand released itself from around Misao's ankle, dropping her to the ground when he crouched down to scream repeatedly.  

"Itai!" Misao moaned loudly.  This was the second time she had landed hard on her rear.  There must be a huge bruise developing now however she didn't have another moment to complain about her backside's pain when she had another problem to deal with.  The other two still have their grip on her braid and arm. "Hey!" She cried when she was forced onto her feet roughly to see the sharp end of two swords by her neck.  The second girl spotted Misao's predicament in one motion.  She kicked the sword out of the first guy and kneed him in the stomach to forcefully break his hold off the ninja's braid, throwing him over her shoulder.  As he toppled over his feet, a huge gasp echoed among the crowd.  

"Here's for calling me a brainless kid.  Gecho Geri!" Misao successfully sent a flying kick to the second man's chest and then two punches to the face.  Not giving him any chance to use his sword.  Her blows sent him flying next to his friend that had been kneed in the stomach by the other girl.  She had never been so glad to be able to pull off some hits after being stuck for a long time.  The guy with the broken nose reappeared on his feet, not caring about the continuous flow of blood dripping from his nostrils as he endeavoured to attack his opponents.

The taller girl caught sight of him coming in with his Katana and dodged two downward slash attacks.  She threw two jumping roundhouse kicks to his cheeks, obviously avoiding his broken nose since it had already been damaged by her earlier jab.  Somehow the double kicks to his face didn't force his entire body down.  Meaning that he still had some strength left within him.  He squealed stupidly when he saw the girl's fist less than an inch from his broken nose.  'Oh not the nose again' his face was clearly saying to her.      

"Leave," She commanded to the men as they struggled to get onto their feet, pointing to the open gap that had been made rapidly by the local town.  "Don't even think of coming back just to pick on innocent kids." The trio of bullies cursed under their breaths as they walked away furiously.  Majority of the onlookers cast their eyes back to the girls standing in the middle of the road.  The brunette broke their dreamy looks and said, "What are you looking at?" Everyone was taken back by the interruption of their staring and obediently broke away from one another to return to their original chores.        

Now that the road was empty and back to how it was before, Misao could get back to doing her work, which was find that person.  She exchanged a puzzled look with the other ally standing next to her.  Her curiosity from earlier today had come back to her since this brawl against the three bullies was over for now.  The taller female startled her when her emerald eyes met with Misao's.  

"Are you okay?" She asked politely.  The piercing glare that once stood in her gaze when she spoke to those men had taken a softer turn and now appeared to be gentle rather than angry.

"Uh…" Misao was speechless as well as nervous. "Yeah.  Thanks for helping me out." She smiled gratefully.

"Don't mention it." The girl smiled back. "Those guys came here once to pester me.  Thought the police found them on that day to take them away." She almost forgot that Misao was listening to her loud thoughts and cleared her throat. "Well uh take care of yourself…and try not to get angry too often.  Otherwise you'll end up like that again.  The same thing happened to me last time and it wasn't very nice."

"I'll keep that in mind." The young ninja said. "Hey wait a second!" She sprinted towards the girl to prevent her from leaving.  The wavy ponytail flicked off the brunette's shoulders as she looked over to Misao, wondering what she wanted to say now.  "Are you…are you Kino Makoto?" 

"Uh yeah.  But how did you…?" Before she could say something to express her shock, the braided girl unfolded a piece of paper and showed its true form.   

"This is you in the picture, isn't it?" Misao questioned.  Makoto took the paper from the ninja's hand to examine it closer.  Wow this WAS her all right.  Whoever painted this portrait emphasised the natural shade of her hair and eye colour.  How did he or she know she liked flowers as well? This picture made her look so serene and kind.  Could this really be her? She wasn't *this* dazzling, was she?

"Yeah this is definitely me," Makoto confirmed.  Her eyes grew suspicious as she looked at Misao. "Where did you…?"      

"We need to talk," The ninja stated in a plea. "Please.  It's really important." Something within the voice of this girl gave Makoto the impression that the younger girl was indeed desperate to get a message across.  Even though her eyes looked excited to meet this girl, Misao seemed to be very serious on needing to talk this instant.  Makoto accepted the girl's request and said, "Fine.  Let's talk."  

TBC

It took me the whole weekend to write this entire chapter up hence the lengthy size and I wouldn't blame any of you if you're going 'What is going on here?' O.O. I was a bit relieved that some of you were okay on the prologue.   I don't want to get into any fight against avid Aoshi/Misao shippers (believe me this is a VERY popular fanon pairing) so to any fans of this couple I would to make a clear statement: I won't make Misao an angry jealous person just because Aoshi is with another girl.   I'm going to try and make her happy in another way.   I like BOTH Aoshi and Misao and only see sibling love between them.   While Misao is 16 (i.e. a year younger than Kaoru), she seems like a real kid when put next to Aoshi-sama (I swear I'm not bashing her here.   I respect her as I do towards Kaoru-dono).   Well she is at that stage, isn't she? She's sneaky and mischievous.   Just watch episode 34 when she's trying to steal money off a group of thieves.  

_girl of darkness- _When I see Misao she doesn't exactly remind me of Usagi.   I reckon she's better than the Odango Atama.  Apart from the obvious temper she has, Weasel Girl is a fighting ninja who can beat Usagi without any problems.  She'll throw her Tobi Kunai and Usagi would be down instantly.  Also she has a better leadership ability since she was temporarily the Oniwabanshu Okashira while Aoshi was preparing to fight Kenshin at Shishio's HQ.  She's a lot like Yuffie (Final Fantasy 7) and a bit like Kaoru too.  Shishio Makoto was one of the best villains and toughest opponents (unless you count Yukishiro Enishi who appears in the Jinchuu Arc in the Manga).   The RK movie was really good BTW.     

_Nana (-shi)-_ Thank you for reading this and Ah! My Sempai.  I see you've started to get into RK and managed to see the reasons behind the compatibility of the two characters ^_^;; It is weird to say that I'm going to quit Sailormoon crossovers when I actually haven't – YET.  Guess I still have some Makoto crossover adventures to release, don't I? O.o        

_Sarien_- The idea of a catfight is tempting but I wouldn't really write it.  Sure Misao has a temper, which makes her look funny like super-deformed Kaoru, however I'm certain she can move on.  I think I'd overdo things around the conflict.  I'm going to try to keep the respect among Misao, Aoshi and Makoto in place.  You know Kaoru, Misao and Makoto have something in common – they're tomboys who fight and at times strive to be feminine ^_^.  The prospect of marriage may not be used at all so don't worry about that idea you accidentally gave away in your review.  Thank you for providing a nice review and understanding my chapter planning - although it can be incorrect most of the time *embarrassed chuckle*. 


	3. ch 3

If Only You Smile 3

AN: I think everyone knew Makoto was going to help Misao out in chapter 2.  It was an obvious prediction but it was the only exciting thing I could honestly think up.  As promised, this chapter has a lot of Misao and Makoto interaction.   

****

Misao had been alone for five minutes after Makoto had run off to get changed.  That was something she didn't expect at this time considering how keen she was to talk about a very important subject but still the braided girl was able to rest from what happened today.  Plus enjoy her drink in a very serene manner.  She found the teahouse she was sitting in to be very tranquil.  Only two or three customers were in the same place as her, drinking Sake and eating what appeared to be tofu and a whole fish.  The young Oniwabanshu ninja tapped her index finger against the tiny cup that held fresh green tea.  

Screaming from painful stretches by those three bastards was enough to make her throat extremely dry for so many hours.  Thank goodness her drink was enough to refresh her body's insides.  Makoto's friend Ayane owned this place and was always generous whenever friends of the tall brunette came to visit.  And what made it more surprising for Misao was that it meant she didn't have to pay for this cup of tea sitting in front of her.  She knew it was common for people to do that around their friends.  Let them get free food because they were close to one another.  She could do the same at the Aoiya.

"Hi, I'm back," Makoto's voice rang into Misao's ears.  The latter turned around to greet the brown haired girl and wasn't able to say a word as she took in the new clothing displaying in front of her.  Misao could see with her jade eyes that the Karate gi Makoto previously wore had now disappeared and a simple pink kimono had been replaced.  It was as though she was talking to another female.  Unlike in the previous brawl Makoto's green eyes didn't have that piercing look and instead had a charming gaze that blended well with her soft smile and the rest of her physical appearance.  This girl almost reminded Misao of her friend Kamiya Kaoru.  How was it that these two female fighters could stay feminine and not lose their fighting ability?  

"Wow.  I uh…didn't think you could wear a kimono so nicely," Misao complimented. "It took me a while to recognise you."

Makoto bowed appreciatively anyway. "Thanks for the comment uh…"

"Oh I'm Makimachi Misao," The ninja said, bowing slightly in her kneeling position. "Sorry I didn't introduce myself earlier.  I was so caught up in that fight with those jerks."

"That's okay.  I did exactly the same thing when I first met them a while back," Makoto uttered understandably, her eyebrows curving with slight fury from the memory of today's opponents. "Man, I thought they were taken to the police.  Maybe they've been let out already." But they couldn't have survived 'his' attacks.  One guy had a fatal gash to his shoulder, didn't he? She put today's fight aside and cast her attention back to the awaiting female sitting opposite her.  "So what is that you want to talk to me about?"

Misao took in the last drop of her green tea on the table and levelled her gaze with Makoto's jade eyes.  Makoto didn't have to be told that this was indeed a serious discussion and sensed that the ninja girl didn't want to lose any of her time right this minute. 

"What I wanna talk about is this," Misao explained, showing the now very familiar painting of Makoto.  "It's got nothing to do with the artist but with the person who bought it."

"Oh so *you* weren't the one who bought it, huh?" Makoto was surprised.  Already this topic was confusing her.  Where did Misao find the painting then? Did she steal it off someone else? Misao's eyes weren't likely to become amused by any joke as she spoke on.  It was as if they were stuck to being sharp and serious.  Much like how Makoto's eyes were when in battle or focused training.

"I have to ask you a question, Makoto-san…" She stopped talking when Makoto lifted her hand to interrupt.  

"Just call me Mako-chan," The auburn haired girl corrected in one quick sentence.  Misao was a bit surprised by this suggestion of informality but went along like an obedient servant and took the comment in.  However as Makoto observed the dark braided youth she noticed how slightly nervous she was becoming.  Misao was suddenly biting her lip – hard as though she wanted it to bleed by purpose.  Makoto decided to make the question come out in a simpler manner by asking, "Do you want to ask me if I know the person who bought this painting? Is that it, Misao-chan?" Misao's eyes lowered, staring at the empty cup in front of her hands and the portrait spreading across the table.  Was Makoto seeing things or was the girl shaking a little?  She bent down to try to see Misao's huge eyes and continued to simplify this difficult moment. "Just say yes or no.  Do you want to ask me…?"

"Yes," Misao replied back.  "That's the question I want to ask you…Mako-chan." Her face ascended so it was facing Makoto with incoming confidence.  Good, this girl is over her brief sense of worry Makoto spotted.  Well now that she knew what the question was, the next problem was to recognise the person who bought a portrait of her.  During the past four months, she hadn't made that many new comrades.  Everyone had been bitter to her up till this present year.  Her time had been spent in Osaka, fighting supporters of Shishio Makoto and to look after Ayane when she was injured for a long period of time.  Mako-chan wasn't exactly on good terms with people in her town.  It was too hard for anyone to get along with her, especially when her day involved a lot of unnecessary brawls that lead to a huge mess on the ground.

So whoever owned this portrait of her was someone who respected her - unlike the people of Osaka who considered her a fighting monster with no brains.  Could it be that the artist knew her parents when they were alive? Was he told how dazzling she would be as an adult, which was what led him to draw such a picture? Well for a start she had never heard of the artist Yuuki Takashi so that possibility was definitely out of the way.  Unless he knew her of course.  But Misao had clearly said this had nothing to do with the artist yet the person who bought it.  So recognising the artist's name was most certainly out of the question.  Makoto had two confirmed responses now that she thought about it more.

"Ooh nice portrait.  Hang on, is that a picture of you, Mako-chan?" Ayane appeared out of nowhere to refill Misao's cup but the ninja declined the offer as she watched Makoto's older friend observe the painting with amazement.  Like Makoto and Misao, the wonderful colours this portrait was giving off had also intrigued Ayane.  It was the normal reaction people would show off at first glance. "Who did this?"

"That's what I am asking Misao-chan," Makoto answered. 

"Ooh girl-talk," Ayane said then started to think in her head. "Well if you want my opinion I think a secret admirer painted this portrait.  How's that for a guess, eh?" Raising her eyebrows curiously, she walked off with Misao's empty cup, leaving Makoto open-mouthed.  Ayane wasn't even here since the beginning of the conversation hence what she suggested couldn't be true.  Like Misao said it had nothing to do with the artist.  It was the person who owned it.  

Makoto returned her gaze to Misao and added, "Hey just ignore what Ayane said.  She didn't hear every single word…"         

"She was right on the secret admirer part," The braided girl replied.  Makoto's emerald irises grew in surprise.  What did she mean Ayane was right on one part? She thought her friend was kidding around.  Well she was, right? "The person who had this painting originally *is* someone who knows you."

The brunette couldn't easily take in the words that Misao was giving out.  Someone knows her.  But who would know her? Was it really an admirer from her town? Was Misao just acting as the clueless messenger whose job was to make Makoto guess endlessly on who drew a wonderful portrait of her? If Misao's nervous behaviour a few minutes ago was all an act then Makoto had to admit she was doing a good job of it.  But then again, she couldn't help seeing how realistically serious Misao was right now.   

"I'm telling you Misao-chan I don't think I would know who owned this portrait.  I don't have a lot of friends except Ayane.  And it couldn't be my parents because they're dead…" It was Makoto's turn to bite her lip hard.  She couldn't believe she just mentioned her parents out loud like that without giving much thought.  Wasn't she going too far to let Misao know about her family? Misao somehow didn't look too convinced by Makoto's easy surrender into not knowing who owned the painting.  The ninja shook her head angrily and bent over the table again, her hands becoming fists.  Clearly she was becoming angered in some way even with her face not looking up.  Makoto was about to ask what was wrong when Misao shot a sharp glare to her.  

"Mako-chan, are you telling me you *don't know* who Shinomori Aoshi-sama is?!" She exclaimed in shock and disbelief.  Makoto's mouth let out an automatic gasp, which almost felt like a knife had plunged into her heart.  The sudden pant caused the other customers to stare into their direction, which worsened the embarrassing moment.  Without thinking carefully, Makoto ran from the table and retreated outside the teahouse.  Her heart was now beating so fast rather than ache in pain from the sharp strike past her chest.  

She couldn't exactly think straight right now but she knew she wouldn't look more foolish since leaving the teahouse to prevent more silliness in front of the customers.  As she stood outside the teahouse entrance, she felt her senses relax and her brain went into thinking mode.  Shinomori Aoshi was a name she had almost forgotten completely from her mind though now that Misao had said it to her face Makoto's memories of him came flooding back like a fast flowing wave from a violent sea.  Oh yes.  What went on four months ago was coming back now.  How could she forget the pools of ice blue that took her to another world? Or the emotionless façade that melted into the rest of his attractive features? 

How could she also not recall the moment he let her call him Sempai as well? Makoto found her heartbeat speed up again.  It wasn't because of embarrassment but because of thinking about Aoshi.  She hadn't felt such warmth for so long.  During the heated war throughout Japan against Shishio Makoto and the Juppongatana Makoto had had no chance of daydreaming about anything happy.  She was too busy protecting her hometown Osaka from the enemies and hardly many people were willing to show their appreciation for her help, even if she was the respected daughter of a dead Karate master. 

Ever since her parents' death, life as an adult hadn't been any easier.  People thought her father spoiled her as a child and made her an aggressive demon, which was of course not true, since he had actually attempted to make good use of her natural born strength by training her in Karate.  Naturally not many around here understood the reason or wanted to listen to such nonsense.  Memories of what went on during the last war mixed unexpectedly with Makoto's reminiscence of Aoshi.  Scenes of her battles sprang in front of her eyes but then dramatically switched to her private moments in the forest with the Oniwabanshu Okashira, leading to sensations of happiness.

"You know him, don't you?" 

Makoto tilted her head to the right to see Misao observing her as she took out her buried face from her palm.  "You scared the hell out me just now."

"I can see that," The ninja pointed out. "So tell me, how do you know Aoshi-sama?" 

Aoshi-sama?! The taller brunette tried her best to control any more shocks to her body.  She couldn't believe Misao referred to Aoshi with high respect.  Very rarely did any youths use '-sama' after a person's name.  From what she knew people used '-san' a lot more.  '-Sempai' was something else.  If Misao referred to Aoshi as Aoshi-sama then this had to mean something, right? But before she could ask questions to the small ninja, Makoto decided to satisfy the braided girl by providing some answers.  

"Aoshi…-san helped me four months ago." She didn't want Misao to act fidgety if she used the term 'Sempai' in front of her.  That would cause some discomfort between them no doubt.  "I had a fight with those three guys a while back and he came at a good time." Makoto noticed some silence come between her and Misao.  It must mean that her answer wasn't sufficient enough.  It was as though the ninja expected more details to be given out.  Noticing the expression 'Keep talking' around the ebony haired girl's face, Makoto went on. "The first time I saw him was on the night he was chosen as the new Okashira eleven years ago.   We didn't exactly see or speak to each other a lot back then but I didn't expect him to remember my parents.  Mother and Father got on well with most of the Oniwabanshu." 

"So he remembered you after all these years," Misao remarked.

"I guess for someone who's amazing like him of course he has a good memory of the past," Makoto laughed for a split second though silenced immediately after seeing a lack of humour surround Misao's face.  Perhaps that joke was bad Makoto noted in her mind.  She rubbed the smile around her lips then started to wonder what this conversation would lead to next.  Hold on! She rewound back to her last statement and tried to piece together the meaning of the sentence.  Sure she knew he had a good memory of their brief greetings to one another eleven years ago, however this could have meant something else too.  Did this mean he still remembered Makoto after he left Osaka four months ago? Was the portrait of her the result of this memory? All this did make sense, didn't it?

"Do you have feelings for him?" Misao asked.  Makoto couldn't understand how this girl could be so desperate for her answers.  All she could do was simply stare at her as though she was a strange object.  Misao rephrased her question, her tone becoming more eager for a response. "Do you love him?" 

"I…I…" Makoto really couldn't answer her.  This sudden return of a familiar name had begun to screw around with her brain's functioning.  Romance had not even been on her mind at all since he left her on that day.  A week after he departed, Makoto eventually assumed that he would never be seen again and wished him well inside her heart, hoping that he would get the title of 'Strongest' as time moved on.  Makoto's confusion came to a halt when Misao grabbed her arms roughly and forced her to look into her eyes.  

"You DO love him, don't you?!" Misao cried.  Perplexity was becoming stronger by the minute as Makoto looked at her. "Something tells me that he may have felt the same four months ago.  Why else does he have this in his room?" She shoved the painting in front of Makoto's face to give her a quick reminder.

"Are you telling me you stole that from *his room*? Oh Misao-chan…" The auburn haired girl was afraid that this early presumption turned out to be true and shook her head in dismay.

"Who gives a damn about me stealing this?" Misao raised her voice that was loud enough to be heard from people sitting upon the roofs.  "Do you have any idea how hard it's been for me to get Aoshi-sama's attention, to get him to see my feelings? I know he's emotionless and is still recovering from the whole fight against Shishio Makoto but he's not gotten any better." Makoto opened her mouth but Misao wouldn't let her say anything. "I've tried hard to show I care yet it hasn't worked."

Watching the ninja grip her arms more tightly was something Makoto did not anticipate from the top of her head.  Over the past hour the desperation within Misao's voice and actions had grown rapidly.  This wasn't an act at all.  Now Makoto was starting to realise the truth.  She could instantly tell how much Aoshi meant to this girl.  Why else was she pleading like this? 

"Do you love Aoshi-sama that much that you want to see him…smile?" Makoto questioned, already knowing what the answer would be.  

After a minute of quietness, Misao nodded slowly to confirm the truth. "These past days I've realised that I may not be the one to make him happy." There was a flicker of sadness in her eyes but it drifted away into something that looked like hope and suddenly a gentle smile came into view. "YOU can help him, right?"

"What? I uh…"

"I know you can.  I'm sure he still thinks of you up till this day; even behind that impassive face."

"Misao-chan, I don't know…" Makoto couldn't think of a decent argument to fight back with.  Hesitation was controlling her ability to speak.  The dark haired ninja still wouldn't remove her grip off Mako's arms as she continued to plead anxiously for help.  What Makoto wanted to say was whether or not she still had the same feelings towards him from four months ago.  What if she didn't? It would be a waste of her time to help get Aoshi out of his stoic shell, wouldn't it? However remembering who he was as a real person somehow managed to weave its way into Makoto's sensitive spots.  

Visualising his recognisable and handsome appearance was something she couldn't resist doing when daydreaming.  The last time she spoke with him she could tell he was certainly lost mentally.  His eyes were filled with such sadness that Makoto could deeply understand in reference to loss and revenge.  She detected her sympathetic thoughts towards her Sempai resurface like before.  

Oh Aoshi-Sempai.  Guess I'm still thinking about you after all Makoto gave in to her tender caring thoughts, swallowing the temptation to laugh at herself and looked at Misao to say, "Okay then."

"Huh? You mean you'll…?" Misao smiled and jumped in the air happily when she saw Makoto's face brighten into a grin.  Oh she knew what the auburn female's answer was going to be all right.

"I'll do what I can to make him happy, ok?" Makoto was tempted to add that she would put in extra effort to make Misao happy as well although she thought it wouldn't make the situation any better for the younger girl.  She guessed that Misao was more concerned about Aoshi than herself at the moment and perhaps it would be best to stay that way for now.  "So what do I have to do?"

"Well for a start, you have to follow me to Kyoto because that's where he is," The ninja replied, took Makoto's arm then commenced into a sprint.  "Come on! We have no time to waste.  Let's get you to Aoshi-sama!" Makoto couldn't say anything to respond and let herself be taken to the one man she had longed to see after months apart. 

TBC  

_Nanashi-_ Ah now that you mention Chibi-Usa I reckon it would be a nightmare to see her argue with Yahiko.  We'd all need headphones and listen to J-pop music happily; rather than hear those two bicker or have tongue wars.  I'm routing for Yahiko-kun to win of course :P.  Pan/Trunks (Dragonball GT) is another similar pairing to Aoshi/Misao.  

_Sarien_- Ha, you guessed correctly on those guys.  I'm glad someone remembered them from the prequel ^_^ *awards ten house points to Sarien*.  Thanks for understanding my Misao characterisation too ^_^.  I'm trying to make her IC as much as I can.


	4. ch 4

If Only You Smile 4

Geta = wooden shoes, clogs

****

"We're here!" Misao cheered and threw her arms into the air to emphasize further ecstasy as she stopped to the entrance of her hometown.  "Whoa didn't think we could get here in less than an hour.  Must be a new record for me." While displaying her cheery undertone in front of the local people, the braided girl didn't realise that Makoto was panting hard on her knees as she tried to catch her breath.  It had been a while since she had run that fast in a long time.  This wasn't meant to be a chase from death.  So why was she out of breath already? Well the answer was simple, wasn't it?

It was all thanks to Misao.  She was the one who dragged Makoto by the arm to get to this destination and witnessing how agile and fast this ninja could be made it a little hard for the struggling brunette to catch up with her.  What made her tiring more evident was the fact that she was in a pair of Geta.  Misao never really gave her a chance to rest her feet from the aches during the journey to Kyoto since she was so eager to get back home.  Sure Makoto could run fast if she wanted to but that was at training where her feet were either barefooted or bandaged protectively.  Usually she did the latter to prevent any painful pricks to her bare soles.  

Misao frowned slightly as she noticed her sprinting partner rub her feet and exhale loudly on her knees. "Are you okay?"

"You should have let me rest for at least one minute on the way," Makoto said in a breathless voice. "My feet hurt."

"Why didn't you take off your Geta before we left?" Misao suggested logically. "I thought you were a trained fighter in martial arts like me."

"I am a trained fighter.  I just didn't get a chance to get my Geta off since you simply dragged me by the arm and led me here," The older auburn girl complained, albeit not furiously. "Oh it doesn't matter.  We're here anyway and that's what important." Rubbing off the silly complaint, she then decided to take off her Geta to give her aching soles some comfort, even though she knew her socks were going to get dirty from the soil on the ground.  Besides she often trained without shoes so there really was no need to make a fuss, was there? Makoto had to keep reminding this to herself.

As Makoto followed Misao through the town, she noticed how Kyoto was much busier than Osaka.  Everyone was moving in all directions and Makoto felt like a tourist visiting another country.  She hadn't been here for many years and it had changed since her brief visit here a decade ago.  The population of this town had grown.  Last time she came here it was quieter and smaller.  Misao gestured to Makoto excitedly when they approached a building with the sign Aoiya at the top.  What was this place? The tall brunette stared at the sign and the size of the building in surprise as though she was a statue.  Misao slid the door to the Aoiya open and shouted a loud 'Hello I'm back' when she walked inside.  

Sudden cries of 'Hi Misao-chan' rang into Makoto's eardrums, dissolving her dazed trance from standing outside.  Who could those voices be? Was it Misao's family? An unexpected feeling of shyness crept into her body.  Even if she was a grown up, she somehow felt like a little girl making a visit to a friend's house for the first time to meet her family members.  What were Misao's family members like? Makoto's hesitation to walk in was growing – until Misao reappeared outside.

"What are you doing standing outside? Come on in.  I want you to meet the others." The ebony haired ninja took her arm to guide her in.  Second thoughts were going into Makoto's head while she travelled into the new building.  Maybe this wasn't a good idea.  She should be at Osaka, helping Ayane make some food for the guests in the inn or the customers at her teahouse rather than pay a visit to someone's place.  Straightening her kimono robes, Makoto came face to face with five figures, who stood at different corners of the room doing various chores.  Seemed like the Aoiya was a restaurant from the looks of things.  They had identical cutlery and tools to Ayane's teahouse.  Two women and two men smiled at her and Makoto smiled back to return the gesture.  

"Misao, where have you been?" A deep voice echoed in a furious intonation.

Misao laughed nervously as she turned to the dining table. "Hey Jiya, sorry I was in a rush…" 

"You should have told us where you going before…is that Kino Makoto?" An old man stood up, his hands behind his back and his eyes staring at the new guest.  Makoto stared at him in shock, speechless.  How did he know her name? That was the first thing that came to mind.  Memories of the past abruptly interfered with reality as she looked at this wise person.  He did look familiar all right.  But who was he? The face was recognisable though the name was obviously blank in Makoto's memories.  "You are Kino Makoto, aren't you?" The guest told him he was indeed correct.  "Hmm…I remember your father very well." 

Makoto carefully sat down by the table. "How do you know me? And my father?"

"I always see you standing beside your father when he comes to visit us at the old Oniwabanshu headquarters.  A very noble man he was.  Always showed that he cared about you as his daughter and called you Mako-chan a lot." The old man's smile caused Makoto to lower her head into the table.  She didn't want to show that she was embarrassed by this kind appreciation towards her parents.  It had been so long since she had heard anyone speak highly of them – until she saw Aoshi four months ago.    

"This is my Jiya," Misao added. "His codename in the Oniwabanshu days was Okina."

"Oh Okina! Yes that definitely rings a bell," Makoto said.  Indeed her father did mention his name a few times back in the old days.  It was strange how some of these past faces were starting to resurface into the present day automatically and Makoto wasn't even trying to remember people's names or attempt to recall any past events.  It all just came back to her like magic.  The old man continued to reminisce on the past. 

"You've grown much taller since the last time I saw you, Makoto," Okina pointed out to the brunette girl.  "You have your mother's face and your father's powerful eyes." 

Powerful? Makoto couldn't believe this old man was complimenting her parents' features here.  Now she was more embarrassed over this complimenting moment.  She never ever thought of her father's eyes to be described as…powerful.  That definitely was a first for her.  Apart from the previous Oniwabanshu Okashira, Okina was one of her parents' closest comrades in the past, which would explain his loyal words towards Makoto herself.  Looking at his eyes, she was certain this was no ordinary old man.  She knew he was a fighter in the Oniwabanshu and from what she could recall as a child the members' training was just as intense as her own.  

Alongside everyone else who was listening to the conversation between Okina and Makoto, Misao seemed to become more surprised with the new facts being released.  Okina noticed how attentive the braided girl appeared as she sat next to Makoto and asked, "Misao, did you know Makoto's parents were one of many successors in Shotokan Karate?" 

The younger girl shook her head innocently. "I heard that you were good friends with them."  

"I haven't told her everything about my family or myself, Okina-san," Makoto clarified.  She and Misao were too busy discussing something else to talk about themselves.  After all their main subject consisted of a tall man who never spoke a lot and that seemed to be more important than getting to know one another.   

The old man nodded understandably and decided to do the explaining for her in order to give Misao more facts to put into her mind. "Well Makoto's father was one of the well-respected Shotokan Karate masters in the past and one of the closest allies to the Oniwabanshu."  His eyes lowered into a graver sign when he diverted his gaze back to Makoto. "I'm sorry for what happened to your parents back then, Makoto.  It was unexpected."  

"Oh…I appreciate your kind words towards my parents," Makoto bowed her head slightly.  She knew exactly what he was referring to although Misao wasn't exactly sure what her grandfather meant.  Of she was a little shocked by what sounded like tragic news but from sensing the silence around the table she guessed that Makoto's parents had been deceased for a long time, which would explain why Makoto never said a word about them at the beginning.  Okina was referring to the night her parents were murdered – by Imperialist soldiers.  Her parents' screams echoed all around Makoto when she closed her eyes to remember the horror she had witnessed and suffered as a twelve-year old.  

The shock of seeing her own parents die in her arms was so strong that she wasn't able to get her revenge.  Makoto bit her lip hard at the memory of seeing her parents die and the murderer being dealt with by reinforcements.  Looked like she didn't have to do the revenge herself.  If she did she would easily become a Hitokiri, wouldn't she? And that would mean she had broken her mother's promise to only injure the enemy rather than kill.  Although her parents weren't here Makoto was still carrying the family's respect towards the Oniwabanshu till this day.  She owed them for helping her deal with her parents' murderer after all.

Okina changed the subject to a much lighter level to ease the depressing silence among the table. "So…what brings you to Kyoto? You haven't visited this town for a long time, have you? Oh thanks, Omasu." The girl with a bun in her hair came with a tray of tea and nodded to the old man before leaving the three figures alone.  Makoto did her best to push the memory of her dead parents out in order to answer his question.  While she was successful at pulling off an encouraging smile to the veteran Oniwabanshu member, she then discovered how rather embarrassing it was to explain the real reason to her arrival in this town.  The long haired auburn girl pivoted her jade eyes to meet with Misao's gaze, expecting an answer from the main host herself.  But Misao wasn't sure how to explain this in front of her grandfather.  

Okina chuckled while sipping his tea as he watched the older female gesture to his granddaughter with only her eyes.  He knew they were up to something.  "Misao? Why don't you tell me the reason to bringing Ryouji's daughter to the Aoiya, hmm? It's not that awkward to say, is it?"

"Jiya, it's got something to do with uh…" Misao twiddled with her fingers anxiously, her emerald irises looking at the wooden surface of the table.  She moved her gaze back to Makoto. "Why don't *you* tell him?" It looked like the brown-haired Karateka had no choice but to say it, seeing as Misao was just as embarrassed as her.  

"Misao-chan came to visit me in Osaka," Makoto summarised briefly. "She told me about Shinomori Aoshi-san, explaining how uneasy he is these past days since the previous battle.  We both agree that I may be able to help him.  You see, he and I uh have met before…" This caused the rest of the guys in the Aoiya to turn their heads round and watch the guest talk.  Makoto hated it when lots of eyes were on her.  It intimidated her.  If this was a fight she *always* ignored the staring faces without any problems - in order to focus on her opponent's moves.  But this scenario was something else.  This reminded her of how her normal everyday life was at Osaka.  People stared at her as though she was a foreigner.  The treatment here was almost similar although these guys seemed to be curious to hear her talk about Aoshi.  Why else did they forget their work to listen in on the discussion of the Oniwabanshu Okashira? 

"Did you meet him when you were young?" Okina questioned. "I never saw you two talk when you and Ryouji came to visit."  

"Aoshi-san and I didn't exactly have the chance to talk properly but we exchanged quick hellos," Makoto replied. "Also, four months ago he saved my life when I was down in a fight and it surprised me how much he still remembered about my parents...and me." A small gasp spread among the four co-workers in the Aoiya and they immediately silenced to not bring themselves more attention and discomfort for the guest.  Okina eyed Omasu, Shiro, Okan and Koru with a warning bell, telling them to not intimidate Makoto while she sat in nervousness and embarrassment.  This guest turned out to be quite extraordinary.  Not only was she the daughter of a deceased Karate master but she was also someone who had met their cold Oniwabanshu Okashira.  How well did she know him anyway? 

"Something tells me that you admire him just as much as Misao does," Okina said, smirking.  "I hear it in your voice.  The both of you want the best for Aoshi." Makoto couldn't help smiling at this comment and neither could Misao herself.  The former wasn't grinning merely because he was correct on his statement but because she was impressed with how perceptive he was to picking up the reason for her presence.  It almost reminded her of herself whenever she spoke to anyone.  This was something both her parents taught her about helping friends in need. 

"Jiya, I think Mako-chan might stand a better chance at I do at making him smile and be more open.  I've tried enough times," The sadness in the braided girl's voice loomed back from before.  Makoto honestly couldn't blame the girl for feeling so down.  Being rejected by someone you had strong feelings for was something hard to get used to and it always left you experiencing severe depression…if not worse.  However, it seemed that Misao didn't look like she was about to commit suicide for being unsuccessful in opening Aoshi's heart.  Instead, she looked confident, especially when she looked at Makoto with those huge green orbs of hers.  And along with those wide eyes she gave her a hopeful smile.  It was like she was counting on Makoto to do something for her.      

"Misao, why don't you take Makoto to the temple? Aoshi may have said his time at that place is over for today but you can never be sure whether he means it or not," Okina uttered. "Chances are that he's there right now." 

"Okay then," She became her joyful self again and helped Makoto to her feet, growing excited by the minute.  "Aoshi-sama spends most of his days at the temple meditating.  I'm sure he'll be shocked to see you in Kyoto."

"Uh, Misao-chan?" Makoto said, interrupting Misao's bubbly speech.  The ninja zipped her lips briefly to wait what her friend was about to say. "Do you have a place where I can wash my feet?" Holding her Geta in one hand, Makoto pointed down to the dirty parts of her socks.  She laughed timidly. 

"Oh you can wash your feet outside," Omasu added as she approached the guest, whose face still looked a little embarrassed as she searched for any marks on the floor. "Hey you didn't make a mess on the floor or anything.  Everywhere is clean from what I can see."

"Well Misao sometimes runs into the Aoiya with dirty feet," Okina laughed and noticed Misao's face turn red with anger.

"Jiya, I never have dirty feet!" She shrieked, appearing as though she had steam rising from her head.  Makoto was a little stunned to see this friendly ninja give off a lot of hot air for the first time but realised this was all part of a family atmosphere.  She remembered how her father sometimes made jokes about her, which were obviously not true in real life.  Those words he said were merely something to make her smile and laugh.  That was all.  And Makoto guessed it was the same thing between Okina and Misao.  She knew Okina loved his granddaughter even when he joked around and received a Gecho Geri to his cheek.

As Makoto followed Omasu outside to the garden, Misao appeared behind her after managing to put Okina in a land of twinkling stars, thanks to her special kick.  

"Misao-chan, are you sure about doing this?" Omasu asked as she left Makoto by the well to fetch some water in a bucket.  "I mean, we all know how you feel about Aoshi-sama…"

"Omasu-san I told you already.  I'm fine with all this.  Really," Misao insisted strongly.  "Mako-chan seems like the kind of person who will reach into Aoshi-sama's heart.  She has that look, you know?" Omasu nodded understandably while she listened to the young ninja and watched the female guest clean herself quickly from a distance.  Misao was right about her.  She did have a special aura around her.  Even though she was a Shotokan Karate student she had a gentle look in her eyes.  A look of deep care and concern towards other people.  

"Hey, Mako-chan?" The ebony haired ninja beckoned to the tall brunette who tilted her head to the right to see Misao and Omasu waiting by the door to the Aoiya.  "Why don't we make a nice snack for Aoshi-sama? Sounds kinda cool, don't you think?" After all he only ate one bowl of rice.  He just wanted to leave us quickly 

Makoto pondered for a brief minute about this suggestion as she put her socks and Geta back on.  Making food for Sempai, huh? That sounded worthwhile.  Cooking for someone you liked was always nice.  Especially if it was Shinomori Aoshi. "That does sound cool.  I may an idea on what to make." 

"Really? That's great.  Omasu-san, can you get some tea leaves?" 

"Sure thing," Omasu replied, agreeing to assist in this little dinner preparation and walked back inside the Aoiya alongside Misao.  Makoto wasn't sure how any of this turned up.  Misao must have been preparing this all in her mind while Makoto was cleaning her feet by the well.  Why didn't she even think about making nice food for Aoshi in the first place? Oh of course.  She was too busy thinking about her parents when they died in her arms.  That was the main thought in her mind during her conversation with Okina.  Better start cooking something Makoto thought and went indoors.

****

Misao had been turning her head round constantly as they walked up the steps leading to the temple.  Was Aoshi coming or not? Or was he already inside? Before leaving the Aoiya, Makoto and Misao had to plan out a way of not being caught by surprise by the Oniwabanshu Okashira's sudden appearance.  If Makoto was to keep her food tray steady in her hands, she was also to keep an eye on whether Aoshi would come out of the temple door.  Misao, on the other hand would be using her eyes to check behind and see if Aoshi-sama would be coming up the steps rather than coming down (that was Makoto's job).  

So far, the area of the temple was quiet.  Only Makoto and Misao were the ones walking up the steps.  This was good so far.  No sign of Aoshi *yet*. If he did appear out of nowhere then it was goodbye to the delightful food Makoto had made in thirty minutes.  When the two girls reached the temple entrance, the Oniwabanshu ninja opened the door to observe the meditating hall.  Normally she would see Aoshi sitting in front of a statue and closing his eyes to demonstrate a deep trance.  But it didn't look like he was here.  Maybe he was outside on the grass like before, looking at the flowers.  

"I gotta go now," Misao whispered to Makoto who had placed the tray of food onto the small table a few feet away from a large statue of a religious figure.  

"I thought you were staying," Makoto whispered back.

"Are you kidding? I'd ruin your privacy with Aoshi-sama.  Besides…" The ninja patted Makoto's shoulder. "You're the one he's interested in, right?" She grinned.  The brunette smiled uncertainly at the comment that had been given to her.  She wasn't sure if this was agreeable.  Was she really one of the few people Aoshi was interested in? Well…she had to find out herself when he came in person, wouldn't she? "Just wait until he shows up, ok? Good luck." Misao then ran out of the temple in light strides, leaving a very nervous Makoto to sit alone by the table and a statue of Buddha in front of her.  

****

She'll be fine.  I just know it Misao thought encouragingly.  Her running down the steps had begun to speed up so quickly that she didn't notice a familiar figure walking in the opposite direction.  As she went down further and further Misao instantly recognised every single feature of the person.  It *was* HIM no doubt.  Who else had fine ebony hair that covered his ice-blue eyes to display a sombre look? Aoshi-sama was here! Could this timing be any good? Misao couldn't stop giggling in her throat.  Aoshi's face ascended when he saw Misao running down speedily and what appeared to be a small (if not unclear) smile of greeting came to view.

"Hello, Misao," He said in a quiet tone.  

"Hi, Aoshi-sama," Misao replied.  "Just put some food in the temple for you."

"Food? Misao, I…"

"Sorry gotta go now.  Jiya needs me to help him with some errands." She waved behind her back as she ran down the steps like a fast-moving rat.  Aoshi was surprised with how much of a rush she was in today.  That wasn't like her at all.  Of course he knew how excited she always grew whenever she greeted him.  That was understandable.  But there seemed to be an indication that she was up to something.  He could tell she had a mischievous side somewhere.  Misao just didn't like to show it in front of him.  

When he reached the entrance door of the temple, Aoshi spotted a pair of Geta sitting outside, snuggling against one another.  Whose shoes were they? He wondered.  Nobody ever really came to visit this temple except everyone else at the Aoiya.  Maybe one of them was inside to pray for a while.  He slid the door open to see who it was that had come to meditate silently but was a little stunned to see that it wasn't anyone he knew from the Aoiya.  In fact it was somebody else.  Someone who wasn't a member of the Oniwabanshu clan.  Aoshi's cerulean orbs enlarged in amazement as he took in the new figure (whose back was facing him as she knelt down).

The curly strands of rich brown moved across her shoulders as she turned her head round to look at him.  Those sharp emerald eyes had never changed from before.  Could this really be HER? Was she here, in the flesh? Surely this was a dream.  If it was then Aoshi would sense he was going to wake up any time.  But he wasn't waking up at all.  This was real.  

"It's been a long time…Aoshi-Sempai," Makoto greeted, smiling warmly to him.

"Makoto?" He could only say in response.

TBC                  


	5. ch 5

If Only You Smile 5

**** 

Makoto took in all the features of the tall dark-haired figure standing by the entrance to the main temple. Aoshi-Sempai hadn't changed at all. He was still just as handsome as the last time she met him four months ago. The power of those piercing blue eyes hadn't lessened one bit and made the auburn female's muscles stiff as though they were a part of a recently made statue. She was caught in the mesmerizing power of Aoshi's cold stare and the rest of his façade. Everything around her became a blur and the only things that appeared to be clear were herself and Aoshi. The white trench coat wasn't on him right now and instead a simple white gi was what he was wearing as his chosen garment. 

She couldn't believe he remembered her name after all these months of separation. Was it possible that the memory of her was in there somewhere and hadn't been released yet? For Makoto she nearly forgot who Shinomori Aoshi was until the young girl by the name of Makimachi Misao shouted it in front of her startled face. Only then did her earlier memories of the Oniwabanshu Okashira come back to life and her feelings towards the man returned to her mind. Makoto's eyes were mainly focused on Aoshi's physique rather than anything else, which hindered her ability to communicate verbally with him. 

Thankfully Aoshi was the one to break her dreamy trance and opened a conversation up. Although when he spoke he turned his gaze away from her, staring to his right. "You haven't changed." 

Makoto smiled softly. "Neither have you." She knew Aoshi was a man of few words and respected him for this kind of behaviour. If he wanted to speak laconically then she'd make an effort on doing the same to keep things smooth between them. They could stay in this position for as long as they wanted to until someone said something. She spotted the tray of food on the table and the present situation flooded back into her brain. Oh yes how could she forget? This was supposed to be for him. "Uh, Aoshi-Sempai there's some…" 

"How did you know I was here?" He suddenly asked. The ice blue eyes shot back into her direction. Makoto prevented a gasp from being released. A horrible thought devoured her insides' happiness of seeing this person. Was he angry because she was here in Kyoto? She expected him to ask her what she was doing here but the answer to that would have been pretty obvious, which was possibly why he didn't bother giving out that question verbally. The main concern for him was how this girl knew where he lived. 

Makoto swallowed the brief sense of amazement from being jumped by an abrupt question in order to answer Aoshi's query. "Someone took me to Kyoto." She couldn't help developing a happy smile around her lips when she said this. Indeed someone did take her here and that person deserved a lot of thanks for bringing her to see Sempai, right? She was about to go on when Aoshi moved away from the door. He didn't seem to avert his gaze from her as he approached the table and sat very near to Makoto, unaware of the delights sitting nearby. 

Makoto gulped inappropriately. It was becoming such a habit these days. Whenever someone she admired was more than just close to her she couldn't help but push the apprehension down her throat. It was an automatic gesture from her body. She was so used to looking up to observe Aoshi's face since he towered over her that it felt rather strange to have him at almost the same eye level as her right this minute. She swore she could look into his eyes much deeper than before. However, she was aware she had to cut her desire to ogle him for a longer hour after noticing a look of waiting on Aoshi's features. He obviously wanted to know who brought her here, didn't he? 

"A girl called Misao came to see me in Osaka," Makoto stated.She saw his face straighten after she said that. It was as though he had awoken from a short daydream. 

"Misao?" He echoed, his deep voice definitely sounding a little stunned. She nodded to prove she was telling the truth. So that's how the brunette haired woman ended up here. Of course she wouldn't have a clue where he lived as he never told her himself during their previous encounter. Aoshi rubbed his forehead slowly; even though there didn't appear to be any sweat forming on his skin. It was most likely to be a motion to shrug off his surprise or whatever emotion he was experiencing in his mind. 

"Misao-chan told me you weren't doing so well these days ever since Shishio Makoto and the Juppongatana were taken down," Makoto went on. "She wanted me to come here and see you." 

"Really?" was all he could say in return. What else did Misao tell this girl? 

"I couldn't believe she already knew who I was. And it was all down to one thing." Her hand dug through the inside of her sleeve and revealed a folded piece of paper. Aoshi took the paper away before she could show its main contents. He wanted to be the one to expose the content, it seemed. But who could blame him? After all this was his property and many people respected whatever belonged to Aoshi. He unfolded the paper till the familiar colours of paint came into view. Ah yes this was definitely his all right. 

"Misao stole this from my room," He murmured to himself. Maybe he should have kept this in a much more secretive place. Sometimes he could tell that the young braided girl could go too far with her curious antics and her sneaky demeanour. Makoto couldn't understand why the atmosphere between her and Aoshi was somehow beginning to grow warm and comfortable. Just a minute ago, she thought he seemed irritated that she was here from out of the blue but now…she felt something nice being emitted from Sempai while she watched him. Was he admiring the portrait that the artist drew for him? She couldn't help the small fluster appear on her cheeks since this was a very accurate portrait of herself. 

In secret, Aoshi was comparing Makoto and the portrait sitting between his fingers. He was glad that he spent some money on something worthwhile. The artist didn't have a high level of popularity for nothing. Everything he remembered about Makoto was spot on and the colours were almost as real and bright as the woman herself. His azure orbs looked up from the paper to see the guest sitting and watching him in awe. Despite her flushed face, Aoshi knew she was going to sit there and wait for as long as she wanted until either one of them said something. Makoto respected him as a person and never questioned him so much, which was what he found fascinating about her. 

"Did Misao say anything else about me?" Aoshi asked. 

"We didn't exactly talk much on other things. She was mainly concerned about getting me here," Makoto replied, becoming timid when she heard her words repeat in thought. Although it sounded silly when heard aloud, what she said was true though. Their conversation was solely on helping Aoshi and nothing else. There were no questions on what their favourite food was or what their hobbies were. The Oniwabanshu no Okashira was the key topic. "I don't think Misao-chan wanted to tell me everything in one go." Makoto's emerald eyes suddenly became more concerned and caring when she looked at Aoshi. "Perhaps it might be better if you tell me some things yourself." 

The ebony haired swordsman didn't have to think twice on what she wanted to talk about. She wanted to know what went on since he departed from Osaka four months ago. What went on during this period? Many things of course. Makoto had no idea what she would discover from him. If she wasn't careful enough she might even collapse in shock. 

"How long can you stay?" He questioned, flinching for a split second when Makoto's fingers touched his hand as it rested on his left lap. 

"I'll stay for as long as I need to." A gentle smile was all he needed as his answer. 

**** 

"Man, I sure wish I could go see what they're doing." Misao whispered to herself. "But I'd be such a nosy girl and it isn't nice to invade people's privacy." The sixteen-year old strolled down the street of Kyoto to observe every single moving object. Everything seemed normal today. People were greeting their friends as they went in different directions. Children were running around, weaving past adults. And the ninja herself was just taking her own sweet time while she walked. She wasn't exactly in a running mood, considering on how much energy she had given off from running to Osaka and back here. 

Jiya had advised her to get some rest but of course she wasn't going to do that. She still felt great. Well it was her body's system that felt all right. However, her mind was in all kinds of places. She wanted to know what Aoshi-sama and Mako-chan were talking about in the temple. Would they even be talking at all and doing something else?

Dammit, don't think such things, Misao! She scolded herself It's not polite.Imagining such actions was really unnecessary. Especially if she admired two people both from the bottom of her heart. OK so maybe Misao didn't know Makoto well enough as a real friend but there was something about her that the ninja couldn't help liking as a person. 

Did Makimachi Misao envy Kino Makoto? Was it bad to think in this way? What would Jiya say if she asked him this question? Or even Omasu-san? Everyone was busy at the Aoiya it was hard to get them to answer her bizarre questions on people and their characteristics. Perhaps she was jealous that Aoshi could notice an older girl like Makoto and not someone like Misao. But each time she saw or spoke to her in the little time that they had known each other, the ninja ended up enjoying her company, even though she was aware that Makoto was most likely the best person to get Aoshi-sama to be more open. 

Makoto was someone who trained in martial arts like Misao yet was capable of keeping her feminine features in view by being able to wear a Kimono and cook food like ordinary women did. Misao could easily tell the brunette was a tomboy like herself, which was one thing that the ninja could relate to. That was what made her admire the other female so much. Essentially her thoughts were reminding her that she thought highly of Makoto and wanted to be like her. Obviously this meant Misao didn't loathe her at all, unlike the local people in Osaka. How the hell did Mako-chan cope with living in a place like that? 

Misao found herself smirking happily again and discovered that the so-called jealousy she felt towards Makoto was meaningless - hence it vanished in an instant. Her happy mood was making her skip down the street and caused her awareness to lower dramatically. It also made her not expect something hard to crash into her. Uh-oh! That was Misao's first thought as she landed on the ground, her backside landing first. If it was those three guys again then she was in serious trouble because she wasn't looking where she was going. With the previous guys they just didn't want to let her pass. However this time, it was different. She had to take the blame so there was no point in arguing at all, right? Misao had to do what was right and immediately apologised, bowing quickly at the same time. 

"Oh it's all right, Ojou-san. It's my fault. I was the one who wasn't looking," A friendly voice said to her, giggling nervously soon after.Huh? Misao thought when she heard the youthful tone. So it wasn't either one of those three guys. Thank goodness. Well it was highly unlikely that they would speak in such a formal tone, wasn't it? Lifting her head in relief, she caught a clear glimpse of the person, and spotted him sitting on the ground, his right hand scratching the back of his head and his face smiling simultaneously. It looked like he was carrying something heavy, which would explain what hit Misao hard on the left shoulder. But how could a guy that young and skinny carry such a heavy load of food? 

That suspicious thought dissolved instantly when she looked at the boy again. He looked so familiar. It was the smile that got her memories thinking. Well didn't cheerful people smile a lot? Everyone could smile, right? Even Aoshi-sama if he was willing enough. But this boy's smile was different. It seemed…unreal. And it was giving Misao small tickles on her back. Her mind clicked immediately when she realised something. Could it be him? Could it be that boy who broke Himura's first sword? Only one person smiled weirdly like that and that was this guy sitting right in front of her. 

"Impossible!" Misao cried. Her jade eyes widened in horror. Fear started to spread from the top of her spine. This was not good. She thought all of the Juppongatana were long gone in separate places. What the hell was this guy doing here? Was he here to take out the Oniwabanshu to seek revenge for Shishio Makoto? Her fighting instincts were telling her to make a move quickly. The short, brown haired boy stopped laughing and looked up to see Misao after hearing her speak in exclamation. His indigo eyes staring at her with wonder. He seemed to recognise her as well. 

"Oh. You're that girl who was with Himura-san," He smiled kindly, observing the ninja's physical features. "Misao-san, isn't it?" The boy pulled back in alarm when he saw weapons sticking out of the girl's fingers. 

"The name's Makimachi Misao, buddy," She corrected him. "I know who YOU are. Seta Soujiro. The one known as the Ten Ken!" A look of fury was seen on her face, as well her evident determination to attack him. He wasn't certain whether to say anything and remained still. 

**** 

Makoto found it hard to take in everything that he had said to her. Her emerald irises had remained wide open since the beginning of this conversation. The warm feeling between them was in some way not present any more. And it felt like four months ago. When Aoshi explained to her about what happened to his men. The painful sensations had come back. However the pain she was feeling wasn't down to loss. It was down to shock and slight horror. Makoto couldn't believe what Aoshi had been up to in Kyoto, what he had been experiencing during battle. He almost killed Okina in a fight and had lost his mind for so many days and nights because of his absolute determination to fight Himura Battousai and ending up forming a temporary alliance with Shishio Makoto. 

"I…I can't believe this is what went on," Mako-chan said and swallowed a full cup of green tea in one go. "I could have helped in the war but was forced to stay behind to assist Ayane when she was injured." 

"You wouldn't stand a chance against any of them. Even *I* couldn't defeat Shishio myself," Aoshi replied. He frowned before taking his cup of tea to his lips to sip the hot liquid lightly. Seeing that quick expression indicated to Makoto that he was indeed disappointed from being defeated. He thought he could give the title of 'Strongest' to his men but didn't fulfil his goal in the end. Although his defeat did give him something in return. Himura Kenshin managed to make the Oniwabanshu Okashira open his eyes, see the truth and bring him back to sanity. 

"Sempai, sometimes when we fix our minds on one goal, which ends up being hard, we do go over the top and lose a part of our sanity," Makoto said. "So you shouldn't be so down for what happened. People can't help themselves when they go insane. It just happens." 

"I've needed time to reflect on what I did," He stated. "You were lucky to not be in Kyoto at that time. Otherwise I could have killed you if I wanted to." Makoto bit her lip to ease off the tension. Now that she thought about it, he did have a point. She could picture a bloodstained Kodachi wielder standing right in front of her. Looking to kill someone without any compassion. That sight frightened her and it would haunt her forever if she really did see Aoshi in this kind of state. 

Aoshi's fringes concealed his amazing blue eyes when his head descended to avoid looking at Makoto. "My mind was so lost. Whenever Samurai challenged me I just killed them in one turn. I…I gave myself into evil." Makoto watched his fingers fiddle with the folds of his gi and she felt her cheeks burn much more than ever when he exposed the pale skin of his chest. Yes she had to admit that to see more of his flesh for the first time was amazing…but that was where the embarrassing thoughts halted.

"Oh my…" Makoto was lost for words as she took in the appearance of the injuries. Long yet faded scars spread all over his torso. How on earth did he get these? Why did he even get them in the first place? Those were the thoughts that ran through Makoto's mind as she stared at his upper body. Without thinking first, her hands automatically moved itself towards the long scar on her left. Her fingers shook in uncertainty when it was less than an inch away from Aoshi. He didn't seem to react whatsoever to stop her and Makoto guessed that it was okay for her to touch his scar. So she did, although gently with her fingertips. 

As expected, the scar was thin and had sunk deep into the skin. Hardly anyone would be able to spot it at this rate. But Makoto could still see both remains of the scars that embedded into Aoshi's body like permanent marks. It must have hurt like hell for him when he first got those injuries. Then again maybe it didn't, as he said he had given into evil. Therefore his thoughts and senses just blanked out during his fight so pain was nothing to him. Makoto found both her hands moving from the two scars to the rest of his chest. 

The bright red blush was becoming warmer as she did this and nothing was stopping her. Something inside of her was making her do this constantly. Aoshi's skin was as warm as her cheeks and Makoto didn't know who was hotter here. Both her hands lost its movement after something large gripped all ten fingers, clearly showing the difference in size. She could tell that it was Aoshi's hands. 

"S-Sempai, I uh…" Makoto couldn't even get the words out as Aoshi's piercing blue eyes sank deep into a pair of confused emerald pools. This staring game was becoming more and more familiar by the minute. She could get used to this kind of moment with Sempai. 

The young auburn girl didn't notice that her seating position had changed and she was *much* closer to Aoshi (whose back was near a statue of Buddha) rather than the tiny table with the food tray. Somehow when she moved her hands to touch Aoshi's scars her entire body had travelled along as well. The detection of movement occurred again, only this time she could see what was making her body shift. Aoshi's hands had pulled her *more* adjacently towards him and he could clearly see the flush of nervousness surface on her cheeks. 

Makoto was stunned to find that the tips of their noses touched each other lightly.How did we get THIS close? She thought in amazement as she continued to stare into his cold gaze. Their hands were still clinging onto one another like tight knots against Aoshi's bare chest and sweat was guaranteed to pop up from beneath their fingers at any time. 

Makoto tried to speak what was on her mind. "Aoshi-Sempai?" 

"What is it?" He answered back in a similar whisper. Their lips were a mere fraction away from each other. 

"I almost forgot about you after all these months," She confessed, unsure on whether a small teardrop was forming in her right eye or if that was her imagination playing around. "I'm sorry." 

"Makoto," He simply said in reply. This was the second time he had said her name today…and it made her insides erupt to life like a small volcanic crater. Hearing Sempai speak was exciting her so much. She wanted to hear him say her name again. It sounded so nice. So heart-warming. The next minute came without any words between the two when their lips delicately met each other. However the kiss didn't last for even a whole minute because each person could sense a hint of hesitation kicking in. Undoubtedly the main question that Makoto and Aoshi were asking one another was 'Is this the right thing to do?' 

After staring at each other with uncertainty, Makoto freed her hands from Sempai's powerful grip and rose to her feet, leaving a stunned black haired man kneeling on the floor. Maybe things were going too fast. The kiss would come at a more appropriate time. Her leftover ache from missing Aoshi's strong body next to her just acted on its own accord a minute ago in the form of a small lip contact. There could be a chance that he'd be happy to see her again so she shouldn't have to worry about anything else since she knew where he lived, right? All she had to do was come to Kyoto and find him here or at the Aoiya. It would be easier now. 

And what she was more concerned was what Aoshi was feeling. He didn't seem to mind talking to her after all. It looked like a new bridge of trust had been built between them. His ice blue orbs carefully watched the unsteady brunette grab the tray, which held empty dishes and cups, and pulled it against her chest before heading towards the door. 

"Did you like my sushi?" Makoto asked and looked over her shoulder to observe the handsome man. He nodded firmly and to make up for his politeness she smiled at him to show her thanks. "What about the green tea? I hope it wasn't too strong." 

"The tea was fine," He answered. Makoto's smile grew larger. Thank goodness her cooking lessons with Ayane finally paid off. She was able to impress someone she liked with this skill. 

"Listen, I have to go back home," She then said. "I think Ayane needs me to help out at the inn and teahouse. I'll come visit you again tomorrow with some more food…if that's okay." The recognisable look of impassiveness was always on Aoshi's face and the temple's surroundings were telling her that Sempai was okay with her proposition even if he wouldn't confirm his answer by simply saying yes or no to her. Nodding appreciatively to him, she made her way to the door to leave. 

"Makoto." 

Her left hand pulled back from reaching towards the door and a pair of curious jade irises tilted back to see why Aoshi beckoned to the nineteen-year old female (not that she minded hearing him saying her name in that deep tone of his). What could he want now? She wondered. As her head looked over her left shoulder, a warm hand cupped her right cheek and the next minute came remarkably fast for her to catch. Her mouth was clasped by something so powerful that it disabled an opportunity for her to speak normally. Strands of ebony were tickling her eyes and her senses caught up with reality to see what was happening. Aoshi-Sempai was kissing her! But so soon! So unexpected! Makoto turned her body round so she was facing Aoshi in an erect posture. The one thing that was preventing them from moving even closer to each other was the tray in her hands. 

But like any of them cared about the obstacle in-between. Their lips were too busy devouring one another with burning need and desire. Who gave a damn about waiting to get a decent kiss later on? Wasn't this a good time right now? Aoshi-Sempai couldn't seem to wait until the next day. He looked like he wanted Makoto right this minute. Why else was this happening? What made this moment more delightful was the fact that Aoshi's warm fingers were caressing her cheeks to ease her discomfort. She loved his touch so much and wanted to feel *more* of his electrical current. 

The Oniwabanshu Okashira drove his lips away from her to say something more enticing. "Would you stay here with me for a little longer?" She wasn't able to reply openly when his fingers caressed the sides of her neck. The need in his voice could be heard as clear as crystal. How could Makoto decline his offer? Besides, didn't she need him as well? Aoshi's ice blue eyes seemed to be hiding a sort of hunger behind that cold stare of his and it was calling to Makoto with desperation. 

"O-Okay," was the only thing she could say as she gave in to the crazy mood that was developing between the two of them. Dropping the tray to the floor, she embraced Aoshi without anymore words. Their arms wrapped around one another like two snakes coiling their bodies.Yes Aoshi-Sempai. Hold me like this! Please! Makoto thought satisfyingly before her lips sought Aoshi's, resuming their kisses from before. She didn't care how long she was enveloped in her Sempai's arms. Just as long as she was close to him and was able to feel his mighty physique that was capable of protecting her from everything. 

TBC 

Oh sorry if the last scene was a little odd. I didn't want it to sound too fluffy XD. As for the arrival of Soujiro…well he's a last minute idea I decided to bring in to this story. You'll see why he's in Kyoto in the epilogue…which should be the next chapter. It's just a small thing really. Of course this story focuses on Aoshi and Makoto but Soujiro and Misao are something else; a hint of a future tale that would have a predictable storyline is what I am saying here. I wanted to even some things out for the characters. 

Also if you get the chance to re-read this last scene, find MP3s on the following tunes from the Rurouni Kenshin third OST: _Oniwabanshu – Kyoto Tansakugata_ and _Warriors Blue – a theme of Shinomori Aoshi. I was listening to the RK OSTs and when these two tracks popped up I was right in the middle of writing the fluff. It's quite nice and makes the atmosphere for the romance scenes very fitting XD, in particular Aoshi's theme, which I have to say is so wonderful and sticks into your head if you listen to it a lot. Makes you want to hug him ^_^. _

_Nanashi__- In reality I think Misao would be faster than Makoto as she is younger and *very* energetic whilst Makoto would be stronger than her. Thanks for understanding this concept ^_^. Running in a tight Kimono and a pair of Geta does make things hard as well ^^;; And I did get the *snogging* in just like you requested Mako-chan to do in your review ^_^;;._


	6. ch 6

If Only You Smile 6 (epilogue)

AN: It was difficult to think up a proper happy ending. If this does sound unusual I'll revise it. 

Revised: 5 August 2003

****

"Makimachi-san please put your weapons away," Soujiro displayed another one of those familiar smiles to the angry-looking ninja who was standing in front of him. "I didn't come here to kill anybody."

"Don't give me that crap," Misao shrieked. The sharp ends of her Tobi Kunai drew closer to Soujiro's chin as she moved herself forward slowly. Why the hell did someone from the Juppongatana have to return to Kyoto? Why now? Didn't the innocent people here deserve peace? Misao didn't want to go through that war again. Not when they had just recovered from a brutal battle. Her mind drew away from recalling her previous fight and focused on the enemy in front of her.

Soujiro didn't seem to notice how very close one of the Kunai was to cutting his chin swiftly. His gaze was too indulged with the fury lurking within Misao's jade orbs. For someone of her age she seemed to have the aura of a determined fighter and didn't seem to be the kind to surrender so easily in a fight. She really was serious on taking him out. The steady fighting stance was proof of this expression as well as the fixed glare. 

"Ten Ken, there's no way you're gonna kill anyone from the Oniwabanshu or take an innocent life away. Not when I'm here," The braided girl warned, expecting a snappy comeback from him. Still, he continued to smile. Despite the furious plea this young female was making. He thinks this is funny, doesn't he? Misao thought. How in the world was this guy capable of keeping a very sweet smile on his face? Did he have extra facial muscles? "Get up and fight me, Seta." Each of her Tobi Kunai managed to prick a certain area on his chin when she said this. The disgustingly cute grin on his youthful face had now been wiped off ever since she made that comment. What replaced his expression was something of surprise. 

"What's wrong? You're not afraid of Makimachi Misao, are you?" She said, curious to the change of emotion. Soujiro could see this girl had bravery behind those irises and this reminded him of someone else he met not so long ago. From what he had observed the Ten Ken could see that Misao must have had a good teacher to train her. He had to admit that glare Makimachi-san was giving to him was impressive for a young female fighter but he could sense impatience growing around her. That was what let her down here. 

"Oh it's not that I'm afraid of you," Soujiro replied. "What you said on not letting me kill anyone…it intrigues me." 

"What?" She simply replied from hearing the last sentence. An abrupt sound of laughter echoed from the grocery store and it caused Misao to jump in shock and automatically turn to her left where two men were patting one another's shoulders in friendly gestures and laughing their heads off so that the entire town could hear them. 

Her gaze had been completely fixated with the boy sitting in front of her that she didn't pay any attention to other things surrounding her, which would explain the sudden sense of being startled by something else. It was as though she had taken herself and Soujiro to a place where nobody was going to listen to their conversation.

"Makimachi-san?" Soujiro's sweet intonation brought Misao back to reality and her head turned back to see the boy…wherever he was. The Ten Ken wasn't sitting in front of her any more although the food load he was carrying remained in its original position. She then realised there was something else missing and immediately shrieked in horror. The hand that was threatening Soujiro with sharp objects was magically empty. 

"M-My Kunai…" Misao said, searching everywhere on herself and the ground for her missing weapons. "W-where…? H-how?"

"You lowered your guard just now."

Misao swirled herself around to find Seta Soujiro standing a few feet away, smiling in that weird way of his and holding the Tobi Kunai he quickly snatched from her left hand. Well he sure was fast. How could she not feel her Tobi Kunai being taken away? Oh damn those two men for taking her eyes away from the Ten Ken. If they hadn't laughed so loud then Soujiro wouldn't have escaped and she would have still kept her focus. 

"Give me back my Tobi Kunai!" She ordered. "Then we'll really fight." 

"Makimachi-san, I told you already I'm not here to kill anybody. I'm a..." Soujiro's voice faded when the dark haired ninja charged at him straightaway. She jumped into the air and he knew she was about to perform a flying kick on her way down.

"Gecho Geri!" She cried, aiming her right foot towards his face. However the kick connected to thin air rather than Soujiro's cheek. Misao landed back on the ground firmly then turned back to face her opponent. Her temper was flaring up inside each time she saw that sweet, calm façade on that guy. When was there a time when he would NOT smile and express something else? "Dammit!" She cursed aloud. This humour was nowhere near funny. Even Jiya could do better at cracking jokes. This guy was winding her up rather than making her laugh. Misao didn't care whether she was catching the attention of other people as she went in for another attack towards Soujiro. If he wasn't going to fight willingly and give her back the Tobi Kunai then she had to use force. Anyone who was from the Juppongatana was not to be trusted. They were everyone's enemy.

Unfortunately no matter how many times she got close to Soujiro he was able to dodge her punches and kicks with such speed. No wonder Himura had trouble fighting him before. He was as fast as the former Battousai. Soujiro didn't seem to be using a lot power as he glided past Misao's strikes. It looked like he was taking things easy around her yet was still able to miss any hit from his opponent. 

"Makimachi-san," He calmly said and dodged a right hook to his face, "I'm a Rurouni now. I don't kill anymore."

"Yeah right," The distrust was clear in her reply as she attempted another Gecho Geri. This girl wasn't paying proper attention to what he was saying. She was thinking only on attacking him. How was he going to try to get her to listen? He could easily give her back her Tobi Kunai although it would prove difficult to do if she was all steamed up like this. 

"MISAO!" Okina's voice beckoned to her loudly and the small group of staring onlookers broke away. Landing back on the ground, the young ninja's head turned to her left to see her grand father running towards her. Great! Now she was going to be in big trouble with Jiya. "What are you doing?"

"Jiya…" Misao was about to explain her reason when Okina looked over her shoulder to see the young brown haired boy standing one or two feet away. By the way he raised his eyebrows Misao could see that he recognised the stranger in an instant. His eyes then spotted the huge bag of food that lay on the ground. Murmuring a silent 'hmm' under his breath he strolled towards the bag and saw a small piece of paper attached to the string keeping the food inside.

"Oh, it's the special delivery for the Aoiya," Okina chuckled. "Seta, were you going to deliver this to us?"

"Yes that's right," Soujiro laughed too. "I work for Yui Ayane-san and she sent me to deliver the food to you." His face then went into a surprised façade – just like before when he heard Misao something that caught his attention and intrigued him. "How did you know my name?"

"We heard what happened to all the Juppongatana," The old man replied. As Okina's voice grew serious Soujiro lost his smile and Misao wasn't sure whether he was frowning or not. It was quite a change in character for him to not smile. At first she found it quite scary how the former Juppongatana member would keep on showing that cheerful face. However this was another matter. Soujiro was trying hard to keep the familiar smirk although this time seemed to have a lot more difficulty doing so. Misao saw into his blue eyes and felt a pang of sadness creep into her as she observed his face. Was he actually upset? 

She thought this guy had no emotions whatsoever. Oh of course! Himura told everyone at the Aoiya what happened. Soujiro wasn't able to control his emotions when he was fighting the red haired Rurouni for the second time. Something tragic had happened to Seta Soujiro in the past and he was hiding it all behind those fake happy faces he pulled off. 

"I take that you two were in a fight," Okina said.

"Jiya, he could have come to kill us one by one. I didn't want that to happen," Misao insisted. 

"Misao, you overreact sometimes," The old man said, patting her shoulder. "Please forgive me for Misao's behaviour, Seta-kun."

"Oh don't apologise.  I think Makimachi-san did what she thought was best," Soujiro gently stated. "She saw I was the enemy and wanted to attack me in order to protect those she cared about." Those smirks didn't seem to popping up as much as before. Okina must have accidentally touched a sensitive nerve when he said he knew what happened to all the Juppongatana. "Makimachi-san was very brave to do such a thing." 

Misao's face straightened spontaneously. Did her ears just hear things or was that a compliment she picked up? Did he just say she was…brave? Of all people, Seta Soujiro said a nice comment to her. Why couldn't Aoshi-sama say something like that to her more often? Someone from outside had called her brave. This was unbelievable. The anger towards Soujiro was dramatically dropping for the ninja. She found herself grinning without any reason and also felt a light blush decorate her girlie cheeks. What was wrong with her today? 

"Misao?" Okina disrupted her happy moment.

"Oh uh…" Realising what her grandfather wanted to, she bowed. "Seta, sorry for attacking you like that."

"Everyone makes mistakes, Makimachi-san," The Ten Ken handed back her Tobi Kunai.

"Hey just call me Misao, ok?" She suggested, offering a small smile of encouragement. Soujiro mimicked the tiny grin in return and told her she could him by his first name in order to even the odds between them. 

Okina could see the little misunderstanding that had taken place was out of the way and cleared his throat to get their attention. "Seta-kun, why don't you stay at the Aoiya for a while, since you're here? Seems like we have much to discuss, don't we?" 

****

The first thought that went through Makoto's mind was 'How long had we been doing this?' Her body was close to Aoshi's chest, her hands raking through his smooth dark fringes and her green eyes staring up into those pools of ice blue. Evidently she had lost track of time ever since she let herself in that heated moment and Sempai must have had the same thought as her, judging by the slightly puzzled look on his stoic face. Hardly many words had been exchanged between the two of them while they had been kissing one another non-stop this afternoon. All Makoto seemed to remember from the top of her head was Aoshi's electrical touch on her skin and the tender kisses that greeted her lips with such intensity.

They could hear each other exhaling fast underneath their loud heartbeats and their clothes were clearly not exactly in a tidy fashion.  Makoto and Aoshi hadn't even given themselves some air during their moment and a little voice was telling them both that perhaps they ought to have a temporary break before deciding to continue their amusement. However it proved difficult to recover their strength after experiencing something truly fascinating.  Looking at Aoshi's cold face always reminded Makoto how beautiful he was up close. Even without a smile he was always handsome. It was those blue eyes that enhanced his masculine features. Also sensing his body was listening to his brain's commands once again, Aoshi was able to heave his strong body off of Makoto. 

He let her break away so that she was sitting erectly in front of him, giving her some air to breathe. However a strange magnetic force pulled her back in immediately and Makoto's head leaned back into Aoshi's chest, just like before.  The heat coming from his torso livened up her face like magic. He could hear her humming delightfully through the position she was in and her arms wrapped around his slender waist. She had such a gentle touch he noticed as he watched her. In return Aoshi caressed the long curls of Makoto's ponytail and the back of her neck to make her more comfortable. 

He could hear her murmur on how nice this position comfortable was, which amused him in secret.  Makoto had clung close to him for God knows how many minutes and it seemed her resistance to leave his embrace was too weak.  Aoshi then noticed he had to think twice on thinking that statement as he saw Makoto's head pull back soon after.  Looked like she realised she was getting carried away by this crazy behaviour and had awakened at last. 

"Sorry I just got…oh my! S-Sempai, y-you're…" Her sentence seemed to come out in unusual babbles once her eyes met Aoshi's face. This was totally different to the façade she had grown used to (as well as admired). Sempai didn't have an impassive exterior this time. He was smiling! In the same way that Makoto did towards him. He was like another person in front of her eyes. He appeared like a much kinder man who showed his caring side very clearly. Was this the face that Misao could also see underneath that cold demeanour? Was this the face of Shinomori Aoshi she wanted to see for real?

Makoto found his smile to be so gentle looking and it weakened the piercing glare that was held in his cerulean orbs. "Sempai, your smile…it's wonderful." Her right hand touched his left cheek, near to where his smile was displaying itself in public. Their hands interlocked as they stared at each other once more. Makoto felt her lips curling into a grin as well and the two of them were in a minute of heart-warming silence – until someone spoke. 

"I want to show you something," Aoshi said. Makoto was taken aback when he spoke normally at last and gladly let herself be guided onto her feet. She straightened her Kimono as she walked alongside Aoshi, her hand still attached to his after the door slid open. Her comfort of feeling Aoshi's powerful hand holding her grew much more when she took in the sight of the garden while standing by the back door. The bright green grass and the colourful flowers that bloomed outside reminded her of the forest that linked to Osaka, Tokyo and Kyoto i.e. the forest where she and Aoshi had their privacy four months ago.

"Sempai, I recognise some of the flowers," Makoto said after spotting freshly bloomed Sakura on the taller trees and also some roses. 

"I found a few of them on my way to Tokyo," He replied. "I thought they reminded me of you." Seeing him grin to her lightly, she blushed automatically and inner voices were tempting the girl to kiss him for the rest of the day to show her appreciation for his comparison between herself and flowers.  Now wasn't the time to get desirable thoughts running in her head she reprimanded herself. Besides they already had their fun and should they go back to their business, it would mean getting into the problem of being stuck together again. 

"The garden is amazing," Makoto instead commented. 

"You blend in so well with the bright colours," Aoshi stood in front of her to compare the tiny landscape of the garden alongside the young brunette female. He was right. The flowers he had picked and grown over the months did go with Makoto like a perfect puzzle. He could just sit by the door and stare at her for hours while she stood in the garden, admiring the flowers and the trees around her.

"Aoshi-Sempai, you say such kind words," She complimented and moved in to kiss him softly. As their lips touched with each other teasingly, Aoshi began to notice how these past minutes of bliss was starting to clear his inner confusion up; especially when it concerned Misao's strange behaviour a while ago. 

When he thought about it over and over again, Aoshi realised that it wasn't much of a surprise that Misao had done all this - that is to say brought Makoto all the way from Osaka to Kyoto to see him after four months. After all, she more than just admired the Oniwabanshu Okashira as a person. If the young ninja hadn't found the painting in the first place then the opportunity to hold Makoto in Aoshi's arms would never have happened. And neither would these endless kisses. Sometimes Fate had such unusual tactics when it came to reuniting people together, didn't it?

While they kissed, Makoto's hands dug past the collars of Aoshi's shirt and stroked the warm skin that made her face very comfortable. However the tiny second of excitement broke when the main door to the temple opened and a familiar voice shouted indoors. As they uncoupled themselves, Makoto and Aoshi adjusted their clothes so that they were presentable as usual. They managed to finish this stunt at a good time when Misao ran to the back door.

"H-Hey, Misao-chan," Makoto greeted. She hoped she wasn't blushing too much in front of the visitor. True there was some heat still lingering underneath her skin but it surely wasn't making her look foolish on the outside, right? Misao didn't seem to see any signs of being flustered, as her emerald eyes had fixated onto Aoshi himself. 

Like Makoto's reaction before, she cried in delight at the wonderful sight that was in front of her.  "Oh my God! Aoshi-sama!" Misao shrieked repeatedly.  I knew she could do it.  I just knew it She was too happy to even say anything else to the Okashira other than 'Oh my God.' 

"Thank you," The ninja then mouthed soundlessly to the other girl.  The excitement was making her speechless.

"No thank YOU, Misao-chan," Makoto insisted, understanding the message. "You were the one who suggested I come here. It is I who should give you my thanks." The braided girl still couldn't say much as she turned her eyes to see Aoshi show that warm smile she had wanted to see for so many years. Oh this was like a dream come true! Misao had been appreciated more than once today. She didn't know why it was her lucky day today. Was this a present from the Gods above for her gallant act as the temporary Oniwabanshu Okashira? Makoto spotted another shadow lurking further away and when all the colours started to mix against one another smoothly, she seemed to distinguish a familiar face. "Hey isn't that…?" 

"Oh hello, Makoto-san," A young boy with a sweet face appeared by the door, peeking inside shyly once he saw that someone noticed his presence.

"Ten Ken," Aoshi said out of nowhere. Makoto didn't know why he said that and followed his gaze towards the front door. He must have referred to the young baby-faced boy standing by the doorway, smiling strangely.  Seemed like they both recognised the boy named Seta Soujiro. He was one of Ayane's new workers who started not long ago at the Teahouse.  What was he doing here in Kyoto? 

"Wait Aoshi-sama, he's not a threat," Misao became very worried at what could happen next when she saw him scowl spontaneously at Soujiro. Makoto pulled on Aoshi's sleeve to prevent him from doing something over the top to the other visitor. "He's a Rurouni like Himura."

"A Rurouni?" Aoshi said, sceptical.  Oh of course.  Aoshi-sama wasn't there when Chou came to explain what happened to the Juppongatana.  He wouldn't have known at that time.  Then Misao remembered that Okina did tell him in person about what happened to the enemies later on but it seemed that the news wasn't exactly convincing enough to the Okashira.  Perhaps his thoughts were 'I'll believe it when I see it.'

"Misao-chan is right. He won't kill anyone." Makoto agreed then nodded in greeting to the young boy. "Hey Soujiro-kun, how are you? Did you come to Kyoto to deliver something?" She knew who he was all right. This guy was one of the Juppongatana but had now become a Rurouni who was trying to find answers about life and to make up for the number of murders he had committed while working under Shishio Makoto. That was what he told Ayane when he first met her a month ago. Who would have thought that a charming and friendly guy like him could be a former killer? At times Mako-chan found it hard to keep that fact in mind. It was almost the same for Aoshi-Sempai too. She never expected a cold man like him to be able to show he had a caring side.

"Ayane-san told me to deliver some food to the Aoiya. I think she knew you were here after you left the teahouse," Soujiro said as he entered the temple.

"Really?" She laughed nervously and remembered how smart Ayane was as an older lady.

He nodded. "She said you don't have to worry about the teahouse any more because I'll be there to help her from now on." Makoto didn't quite get what he was saying here. Was Ayane firing her?! But she hadn't done anything wrong – unless one counted the number of times she had to stop people from fighting in Osaka. Not that that was a bad thing of course. She was only acting by her rules of defending victims. 

"She thinks you'll be happier here," Soujiro added when he saw a blank look on Makoto's face. "I take you know what she means." He smiled to Aoshi to indicate he had an idea what was going on between the Okashira and the young lady standing next to him.  Fabulous! Now Makoto was the one being twice as speechless.  She was getting more flustered inside.  And it was killing her, giving her slight difficulty in picking up the tray of food and drink she had carried with her earlier today.  She wouldn't be surprised if Aoshi was more self-conscious than she was inside.  Soujiro had such a weird way of making people timid over sensitive matters.  That smile bugged her during the brief introductory moments of getting to know him in Osaka.    

She tried to take her attention off her embarrassment by observing the two young visitors to keep her mind focused.  Funnily when she compared Soujiro and Misao standing next to each other she saw that they seemed to be quite a duo.  And if Makoto wasn't mistaken, she could have sworn that there were small trails of leftover blushes all over Misao's cheeks.  Well now that was interesting.  It almost reminded Makoto of herself during her earlier session with Aoshi-Sempai but it also gave her the impression that the young ninja was happy about something else, other than seeing somebody smile.

"Mako-chan, is there dirt on my face?" Misao asked, her face frowning in a curious manner when she saw the nineteen-year old look at her strangely.  She rubbed her hands over her face in case there *was* anything on her skin.

"Looks like you've been doing some blushing yourself," Makoto mentioned, grinning in a very convincing way (unlike Soujiro).  The braided ninja's eyes grew larger in surprise.  Where did that comment come from? How could she…? How could she notice? Misao had cooled down while Jiya was talking to Soujiro in the Aoiya, didn't she? Her face wasn't bright red or filled with heat.  The delight in being complimented by someone else had left her briefly flustered and warm inside.  Surely Makoto wasn't that perceptive to pick out such a thing from her.  But then again…Misao's fluster from earlier was starting to rise back to surface again. "Misao-chan, what were you doing with Soujiro-kun before coming here?"

"Huh?" Misao exclaimed innocently. "Nothing! We just bumped into each other outside.  Pure accident, you know." Makoto smirked albeit this time it appeared to be of a teasing manner.  She didn't seem to believe the denial the sixteen-year old was showing.  The ebony haired girl grew more defensive. "Oh don't even go there, Mako-chan!" Why were these two girls the only ones blushing now and then? Was Makoto trying to beat her into making her more embarrassed about boys? After a minute of quiet, the two girls suddenly exchanged giggles at each other and nearly forgot that Soujiro and Aoshi were standing next to them, acting laconic (or smiling constantly in Ten Ken's case).          

"Gee, talk about something else, ok?" Misao suggested.  Like she cared about the blush on her face! Makoto seemed to be ignoring the heat that was burning HER cheeks as well.  "I've got a good question for you, Mako-chan…why don't you stay here in Kyoto, since Seta says he's taking over your job?"

The brunette female was hesitant to provide a good answer to a question like that. "Oh…I don't know." Everyone looked at her as well, expressing what a good idea it would be if she said yes. This thought was quite tempting.  

"Makoto?" Aoshi beckoned her in that deep voice of his.  

Makoto's hesitation halted when she felt a recognisable grip on her hand and almost sent her into a swooning sensation, which was pretty much a bad idea to do considering that there was an audience in front of her. If she did live in Kyoto then what could happen? Dammit wasn't it obvious? She could be with Sempai all day. Spar with him in the garden. Spend some 'private time' with him. In other words just be beside Aoshi for as long as she wanted. Wasn't that what she wanted? What did Aoshi think about the idea? Maybe his answer was obvious. It could be seen in the strong hold he was giving to Makoto's hand.  And the strong gaze he was giving her.

"Oh come on, Mako-chan," Misao persuaded. "It would be so cool to have you here. You can cook some of that great sushi…and have some fun." She winked, getting her back with similar teasing.  Makoto couldn't help but laugh. Looked like she couldn't say no to someone like Makimachi Misao, could she? And she knew what the little ninja was talking about when she said 'have some fun.' It was obvious she meant doing things with Aoshi-sama when they were alone. Well Makoto had to admit if she did stay here then she would be in an environment where many people respected her and her deceased parents. 

The remaining Oniwabanshu members were aware of her family's reputation and apparently showed their respect to them in clear gestures. The Oniwabanshu were perhaps the ONLY other people to appreciate her as a person rather than classified her as a fighting monster and for that she owed them a huge amount of gratitude for treating her with generosity. One look into Aoshi-Sempai's breathtaking face and she instantly knew what the right answer to give was. 

When she saw the flicker of tenderness being exchanged between the two older figures, Misao cheered happily. "Tee-hee.  Guess we know what her answer is.  Come on, Seta! We have to celebrate." She grabbed his hand and ran out of the temple.  

"Slow down, Misao-chan," Soujiro told the sixteen-year old.  As the other two sprinted down the stairs like fast cheetahs, Makoto and Aoshi took their own sweet time leaving the temple. Their eyes didn't leave each other and Aoshi's arm didn't leave her shoulders as he held her close to him. It wasn't just a good day for Misao but it was also a good day for these two. Never had either one of them felt this fantastic ever or had even smiled so warmly to someone else before. Aoshi and Makoto were no longer alone, suffered sorrow or were deprived of love. They had each other now and it was going to stay that way. 

END


End file.
